On Friday, Florida’s Supreme Court ordered Governor Ron DeSantis, the defendant in to respond by Nov. 1 in a case that could affect when or if the Seminole Tribe can launch its Hard Rock Bet platform in the Sunshine State.
West Flagler and Associates is comprised of two Florida parimutuels, the Magic City Casino and Bonita Springs Poker Room, as well as WFA owner Isadore Havernick.
On Sept. 26, WFA filed a “writ of quo warranto” with the court, contending the Seminoles’ 2021 compact with the state of Florida should be declared invalid because DeSantis and the legislature were out of bounds in approving it. The compact would give the Seminoles a monopoly on legal sports betting in the state.
WFA on Friday also filed a Notice of Constitutional Question, which crystallizes the heart of its lawsuit by asking if DeSantis and the legislature overstepped their power because “they do not meet the exception to Article X, Section 30 of the Florida Constitution with respect to ‘gaming on tribal lands,'” as outlined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.