The Seminole Tribe's Compact with Florida is approved by the government

The new gaming agreement between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe has received passive approval from federal regulators, which clears the way for the beginning of sports betting in the state around the middle of October.

The United States Department of the Interior said last week in letters totaling 12 pages to state lawmakers and tribal officials that it neither approves nor denies the new 30-year compact and that "as a result, the compact is considered to have been approved by operation of law to the extent that it complies with IGRA [the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act]." IGRA is an act that regulates the gaming industry in Indian reservations.

and preexisting laws at the federal level."

Following the publishing of the letter in the Federal Register, the agreement that was reached between the tribe and the state of Florida will soon go into force. It is anticipated that this will take place this week.

After years of negotiations that went nowhere, tribal leaders and state Governor Ron DeSantis finally signed a 30-year deal in April. This deal authorized the Seminoles to expand its existing casino offering by adding more table games at their properties, along with blackjack, and to provide services related to sports betting. Additionally, the deal allowed the Seminoles to expand its existing casino offering. In return, the state pledged to split a portion of its earnings with the tribe after the initial period of the compact and that the tribe would donate at least $500 million to the state each year for the first five years of the compact.

The 15th of October Might Mark the Beginning of Sports Betting in Florida.

After receiving approval from the federal government, betting on sporting events could begin in the state on October 15. The Seminole tribe will have the ability to run mobile apps, online wagering sites, and retail betting operations at their many facilities located around the state.

The recently penned compact grants permission for the state's existing racetracks and jai-alai frontons to enter into contracts with the tribe in order to offer both physical and digital betting off reservation land using the Seminoles' servers. This provision was added to the compact shortly after it was signed.

The fact that the compact received permission from the federal government was a significant achievement; nonetheless, other challenges still need to be overcome. There is already a litigation pending in federal court that challenges the contract, and at least two ballot measures in Florida have been gaining pace in an effort to weaken the tribe's monopoly on sports betting and the expansion of its casino games offering.

It is also important to note that the proposals on the ballot are backed by influential sponsors such as the big casino operator Las Vegas Sands and the sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel, who have contributed a combined total of more than $37 million to the campaigns.

It is believed that Las Vegas Sands is working for ballot proposals that would ask citizens of the state to approve up to three new casinos and allow current card rooms in North Florida to offer table games such as blackjack and roulette.

The casino giant reportedly has plans to construct a gambling venue in the style of Las Vegas somewhere close to Jacksonville. Additionally, it is rumored that the casino giant is considering purchasing an existing license from a local parimutuel in order to enter the sports betting market in Florida.