Digital Wager Wire highlights the most important events impacting the domestic and international sports betting and gaming industry landscape each Sunday throughout the year.
Florida’s Seminole Tribe and WFA Make Peace
The longstanding legal battle between West Flagler Associates (WFA) and the Florida Seminole Tribe over the latter’s monopoly on mobile sports betting in the Sunshine State has come to an amicable conclusion. Although WFA was just about out of legal options after the US Supreme Court declined to hear its case against the Seminoles’ Hard Rock Bet, some avenues had yet to be completely exhausted.
But that is all water under the bridge after the two sides negotiated a mutually beneficial arrangement that will see WFA’s affiliate Battle Court Jai Alai LLC’s Jai Alai events on Hard Rock Bet’s sports betting menu beginning next year. In return, WFA has agreed to terminate any current or future litigation against the Seminoles and Hard Rock Bet.
According to Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming, “This is truly a win-win agreement for the Seminole Tribe and West Flagler. This agreement establishes a relationship of collaboration among the Seminole Tribe and West Flagler in the State of 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.”
Gambling Has Universal Political Support
Republicans and Democrats have become increasingly polarized, but apparently, gambling transcends politics. A survey commissioned by the American Gaming Association revealed that 75% of those surveyed supported casino gambling, while 69% endorsed sports betting as well.
The story was picked up by CNBC correspondent Contessa Brewer, who said, “While many industries are gaming out which candidate might be better in office, the gambling industry is looking at how presidential politics intersects with attitudes about wagering.”
Only 12 of the 50 states in the union don’t offer sports betting, and only two of those dozen states, Hawaii and Utah, don’t offer gambling of any kind, including a state lottery. Moreover, two of the most highly coveted markets, California and Texas, have yet to adopt mobile sports betting, but it is expected to be legalized sooner than later in both states.
Although mobile gaming sites have been lobbying legislatures in those states, the grand prize is not sports betting but online casino gambling, commonly referred to as iGaming. Mobile sports betting will be the proverbial foot in the door before gaining access to the entire house with iGaming.
Online casino gambling revenue is often triple that of sports betting, as evidenced by New Jersey’s August metrics revealing that iGaming generated $198.4 million, compared to sports betting revenue totaling $62.7 million.
“But iGaming, or online casino games, provide the bigger opportunity for gaming revenue and tax revenue, and right now, only seven states offer it,” said Brewer. “None have new legislation under consideration, so candidates who want to spend big and are looking to new funding, maybe gambling is the best bet.”
