While Winsor said he would \u201caccept for now\u201d that online sports betting would hurt the plaintiffs\u2019 businesses, the judge added any losses would not happen because of the steps taken by state officials.<\/p>\n
\nIt is the compact itself that authorizes the third-party conduct the Pari-mutuels want to prevent\u2026 the pari-mutuels do not allege that any of the governor\u2019s post-enactment conduct is contributing\u2014or will contribute\u2014to their losing business,\u201d the judge wrote.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Winsor said that it is the state, which is the true party in the compact, and not the governor that has a \u201cgeneral duty to defend\u201d the compact.<\/p>\n
Seminoles: “Important First Legal Victory”<\/h2>\n
A message to the plaintiffs\u2019 attorneys seeking comment was not immediately returned on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
The Seminole Tribe, which sought to intervene in the case, was appreciative of the judge\u2019s ruling.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an important first legal victory for the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe and we look forward to future legal decisions in our favor,\u201d the tribe said in a statement Tuesday to Casino.org<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cFirst\u201d is the keyword in that statement. Because it\u2019s highly likely the plaintiffs will either appeal Winsor\u2019s order, or seek to amend the complaint. The judge gave the pari-mutuel operators seven days to amend it. If that occurs, then state officials would have seven days to respond.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
If that does not happen, Winsor said he would rule to dismiss the case without prejudice. That would still allow the plaintiffs to come back to court on the matter.<\/p>\n
Federal Officials Also Sued Over Florida Sports Betting<\/h2>\n
The case against Florida officials isn\u2019t the only case the pari-mutuels filed. In August, they filed suit against the US Department of the Interior and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in the District of Columbia federal court. That’s after the federal agency announced it took no action on the gaming compact.<\/p>\n
As a result of the department\u2019s actions, or lack thereof, the gaming compact is considered approved. But only to the point that the agreement is consistent with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.<\/p>\n
Last week, the defendants in that case filed a motion to dismiss,<\/a> claiming the plaintiffs also lack the standing to sue them. Both Haaland and the department say they have no role in implementing the compact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A federal judge in Florida late Monday dismissed a lawsuit brought by two pari-mutuel operators. That lawsuit sought to stop the state from enforcing a revised gaming compact that allows the Seminole Tribe of Florida to offer sports betting across the state. In a 20-page ruling, US District Judge Allen Winsor ruled that the Magic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":189395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,1074,18456],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Federal Judge Dismisses Florida Sports Betting Suit Against DeSantis<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n