Barring something highly unusual, a court appeal by a pair of Florida parimutuels means that the Seminole Tribe won’t be able to launch its Hard Rock Bet platform in the state ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
West Flagler and Associates Monday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for an en banc hearing following a three-judge panel’s June 30 decision in favor of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
To cut through all the legalese, the appeals court in June overturned a federal judge’s decision that had prevented operation of the Seminoles’ sports betting. Had West Flagler and Associates appealed that decision, the tribe, which owns Hard Rock Bet and has a compact with the state giving it a monopoly on sports betting in Florida, would have been free to go live with its platform later this month. Instead, the case, first filed in 2021, continues winding its way through court reviews.
Monday was the deadline for West Flagler and Associates to appeal, though the June 30 decision enabling sports betting would not have taken effect until Aug. 21. A court stay that prevents the Seminoles from launching remains in place, meaning Floridians likely won’t be betting from their phones when the NFL season kicks off Sept. 7.