Seminole Tribe & West Flaglers Partner Up, Ends Legal Dispute

The Florida online casino industry has been tumultuous over the past years, with the Seminole Tribe managing to win legal cases that had them gain control over online gambling in the Sunshine State.

Their most recent victory happened between them, West Flagler Associates and the Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. They came into an agreement to end litigation against the tribe’s gaming operations and to start a new partnership to offer Jai Alai waging on the tribe’s Hard Rock Bet app.

Jai Alai First, Online Gambling Next?

As part of the deal, West Flagler has committed to halting all future legal challenges against the Seminole Tribe’s gaming operations. West Flagler had previously spent three years in state and federal courts challenging the 2021 compact that granted the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to online sports betting, and by extension, online gambling, within Florida.

West Flager owns two Florida pari-mutuels, and their litigation of the Seminole Tribe’s compacts have been a hot topic in the state. Under the 2021 compact, any sports bet made within Florida and processed through servers located on Seminole lands is legally considered to have been placed on tribal land. These transactions enable statewide digital wagering through the tribe’s infrastructure. 

Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen noted that the partnership was the step in the right direction for all parties who want to have a thriving online gambling industry in Florida:

“Rather than engaging in years of additional litigation, this agreement will allow the parties to work together to promote Jai Alai, which has played an important role in Florida’s gaming landscape for nearly 100 years,” Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen said in a statement.

Allen also highlighted the collaborative spirit of the agreement as the Seminole Tribe prepares to roll out Jai Alai betting on Hard Rock Bet by early 2025. With this, the focus has shifted to launching jai alai on the app.

Leveraging Jai Alai’s Roots in Florida

Jai Alai has been a staple of Florida gaming since the 1920s, and its heritage is one key element all parties are banking on as part of its marketing to Floridians.

West Flagler representative Isadore Havenick noted that the partnership’s potential to revitalize jai alai in the digital age:

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Seminole Tribe in support of their gaming operations in Florida and to promote jai alai. We are proud that jai alai will be featured on the Hard Rock Bet app,” Havenick said.

What is the Possibility of Online Casinos in Florida?

Experts believe that this partnership can be the starting point for the development of a real money online casino environment in Florida. According to experts, with the tribe launching its online sports betting operation late last year, state economic forecasters predict that the revenue sharing from tribal gambling could total $4.4 billion through the end of this decade.

The 2021 compact also set significant financial expectations for the Seminole Tribe, requiring it to pay $2.5 billion over five years to the state from revenue generated by sports betting and its six Florida casinos. 

Moreover, the deal may also pave the way for further developments in Florida’s gaming sector. The compact includes a clause that allows the Seminoles to offer any “new game authorized by Florida law,” suggesting that if online casinos are legalized in the state, the Seminole Tribe could expand its digital portfolio even further. This can be the opening other operators of the best online casinos to enter the Florida market and cultivate a great online gambling scene.

That said, its current partnership with West Flagler opens up the Seminoles into expanding their digital offerings under favorable terms while aligning interests with regional gaming operators.