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Magic City Casino has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior seeking an injunction to stop The Seminole Tribe from expanding sports betting in Florida. This follows an agreement with the state that granted the tribe exclusive rights to all statewide sports betting. This means Floridians may be able to explore the wonderful world of Casumo online sports betting.

This deal, called the Seminole Compact, was signed in August 2021. With this deal, Florida can expect billions of dollars in new revenues, thanks to American history's most prominent gaming compact. With a deal poised to benefit not only the Seminole tribe, as the Florida casino owners, but also the state of Florida itself, why is there a lawsuit?

Florida's Gaming Laws

This is a hotly debated topic, specifically within Florida's state line. Gambling isn't illegal in Florida, as most believe, but it is far more regulated than in other states. In short, physical casinos are limited to Indian reservations.

An Indian reservation is any land recognized as a sovereign territory under the control of a Tribal government. This means that casinos are not allowed to be built just anywhere, only on sovereign Native American land. Florida does, however, allow betting on horseracing, although that is also highly regulated.

Nevertheless, Floridians still consider their home state a family-friendly place and 30% of the conservative public (as of 2014) are opposed to casinos near their homes.

Why The Seminole Compact Exists

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was introduced in 1988 and allows gambling facilities to be built on Native American tribal land. This was done to promote economic development and self-sufficiency within the tribal grounds. Native American casinos have taken the United States by storm since, being a popular alternative to the fabulous Las Vegas, they are usually within driving distance of many cities.

The drawback of the 1988 Act was that revenue from the casinos on Floridian Native American land was going exclusively to the tribes, most notoriously the Seminole tribe. The Seminole Compact ensures that more money comes into Florida through online gaming and that the proceeds are shared between the Seminole tribe and the Floridian government. It also ensures job creation and steady economic growth statewide.

Final Word

The reasons why the court case rages on are straightforward: Many Floridians are skeptical and wary of gambling. However, the benefits of the Compact make a lot of sense for the state of Florida. More money, more jobs, better economic growth and tapping into a multimillion-dollar industry that has been just out of reach for far too long. Whether this Compact is here to stay remains to be seen, but it could do much good for many Floridians.