A bid to rehear a crucial case for the future of legal sports betting in the Sunshine State was shot down on Monday by a federal appeals court.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected the request by two casinos for a rehearing en banc (meaning the entire court) of a June decision that essentially reinstated a 2021 gaming compact between Florida and the state’s Seminole Tribe.
“Upon consideration of appellees’ petition for rehearing en banc, the response thereto, and the absence of a request by any member of the court for a vote, it is ORDERED that the petition be denied,” the court’s decision reads.
For a limited time only...
The gaming compact at issue in the case grants the Seminole and their Hard Rock Bet brand a legal monopoly for sports betting in Florida. However, it was struck down in late 2021 by a lower court, which prompted Hard Rock to shut down in the state.
June’s ruling by the D.C. appeals court reversed that lower-court decision, teeing up the potential return of a limited form of legal sports betting to Florida. Monday’s decision has now reignited that possibility, although an attempted appeal to the Supreme Court could still happen.
