sports betting

It has been a long journey to open Florida for sports betting with high stakes for the state and the Seminole Tribe.

After the Seminole Tribe relaunched a sports-betting app, attorneys for two pari-mutuel companies asked the Florida Supreme Court to halt the online wagering as a legal battle continues to play out.

After more than two years of legal wrangling about a 2021 deal with Florida that allowed the Seminoles to offer online sports betting anywhere in the state, Seminole Tribe leaders said they plan to roll out sports betting in December.

A pari-mutuel owner asked the Florida Supreme Court to block a plan that would allow the Seminole Tribe to operate sports betting throughout the state, arguing it would violate a constitutional amendment requiring voter approval of expanded gambling.

A federal appeals court has denied a request from pari-mutuel owners for a rehearing. A summer ruling upheld a multibillion-dollar deal giving the Seminoles control over sports betting throughout the state.

The Biden administration and the Seminole Tribe of Florida on Wednesday urged a federal appeals court to overturn a ruling that blocked a deal that would give the tribe control over sports betting in the state.

Gambling on sports has becoming a billion-dollar industry in the U.S. But critics warn that the torrent of ads — and limited regulation — could pose risks for problem gamblers and young people.

What was once a niche sector in Las Vegas has grown into a national mega-business that people can enjoy from their living rooms — and the advertising dollars have followed.