This Thursday (4), US Attorney General Elizabeth Prelogar requested a second extension to present her response in the US Supreme Court case “West Flagler and Associates versus Haaland”, which could change the status of sports betting legal in Florida.
In the filing, Prelogar writes that the “extension is necessary because the lawyers with primary responsibility for the final preparation of the government’s response have been heavily involved in pressing other matters before the Court.”
Prelogar is requesting an extension of the Florida case until May 12 and notes that attorneys for West Flagler (WFA) do not oppose the request.
The Department of Justice, on behalf of the US Department of the Interior, was initially required to respond to the WFA’s request by February 12, but requested an extension until April 12.
The case for sports betting in Florida
The WFA filed its representation on February 8, about seven months after a lower court overturned an earlier ruling allowing the Seminole Tribe to go live with its Hard Rock Bet platform in Florida.
What is at issue in federal court is whether or not DoI Secretary Deb Haaland was within her powers to approve the 2021 agreement reached between the state of Florida and the Seminole community.
The compact allows bets placed anywhere in the state of Florida to be considered on tribal lands if they pass through a tribal server.
The chances of the case being accepted are low
The Florida Supreme Court declined to hear a related case last month. In that case, the WFA sued Gov. Ron DeSantis and the legislature, saying they went beyond their power to approve the compact.
In this case, the WFA also questioned whether or not the pact is legal, given that voters approved Amendment 3 in 2018, which requires any gaming expansion to go to voters.
The U.S. Supreme Court accepts between 100 and 150 of the approximately 7,000 cases brought before it annually. Some interested parties think they could consider this case because it relates to tribal sovereignty.
From here, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on the Florida case’s request for an extension. While the Seminole Tribe launched the Hard Rock Bet on November 7, 2023.
