New legal challenge filed against Florida’s sports betting compact with Seminole tribe

A new lawsuit filed in Leon County circuit court this week challenges the legality of Florida’s online sports betting framework, reigniting the debate over whether such gambling requires voter approval under the state constitution.

The suit, brought by Protect the Constitution LLC, alleges that the 2021 compact between Governor Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida violates a 2018 constitutional amendment requiring a public referendum for the expansion of casino gambling.

The agreement, ratified by the Florida Legislature, authorized the Seminole Tribe to offer mobile sports betting across the state by routing bets through servers located on tribal land. That system went live in late 2023.

“Today, online sports betting occurs throughout the state of Florida,” the lawsuit states. “But no citizens’ initiative has ever been held to provide authorization. And the people of Florida have never been allowed to exercise their constitutional right to decide whether sports betting should be authorized throughout the state.”

Filed by Jacksonville attorney W. Bradley Russell, the complaint names the state, the Florida Gaming Control Commission, and its members as defendants. The suit seeks a declaratory judgment and injunction against the enforcement of the compact’s online betting provisions.

Protect the Constitution LLC, registered in Delaware, argues that its unnamed members, businesses operating in Florida, have suffered financial harm due to what they allege is unauthorized expansion of gambling.

https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/04/25/102756-new-legal-challenge-filed-against-floridas-sports-betting-compact-with-seminole-tribe