Abstract
This Comment analyzes Florida’s gaming compact (the Compact) with the Seminole Tribe, focusing on the legality of allowing online sports betting under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). The Compact permits the Seminole Tribe to offer statewide online sports betting by “deeming” all bets placed in Florida as occurring on tribal lands, where the Seminole betting servers are located. This Comment argues that such an interpretation stretches the plain meaning of “Indian lands” in IGRA, which traditionally refers to physical land within reservations. Notably, the Ninth Circuit and the D.C. Circuit have seemingly contradictory opinions on this issue. This Comment focuses on three key challenges to the Compact—one from the D.C. Circuit, one from the Florida Supreme Court, and one from the United States Supreme Court—further underscoring the need for clarification. This Comment concludes by asserting that Congress should amend IGRA to clarify the definition of “Indian lands” for online gaming ensuring, consistent application of the law and promoting judicial economy.
Recommended Citation
Rizzuto-Flancbaum, Zen
(2025)
"New Flames, Old Irons: A Striking Analysis of Florida's Gaming Compact with the Seminole Tribe,"
Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review: Vol. 4:
Iss.
2, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/feslr/vol4/iss2/5