TAMPA, Florida — Football fans rejoice – another NFL season kicks off Thursday night, but if you're a Floridian hoping to put a wager on the game, you might want to think again.
It’s the start of another football season in Florida where people still can’t place bets on games, either at casinos or on their phones, as the future of sports gambling in the state is still tied up in federal court.
You may remember the app that launched when sports betting was briefly legal in the state two years ago.
“For 34 days, we had mobile sports betting in Florida through the Hard Rock app,” Bill Speros, a senior betting analyst with Bookies.com, recalls.
That was until a federal lawsuit filed by a Miami casino operator led to a judge striking down a 2021 compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe, which gave the tribe exclusive control over sports betting in the state.
“Lower federal court judge said this is not legal,” Speros added.
However, the odds of this app coming back changed in the tribe’s favor earlier this summer when a panel of appellate court judges reversed that first ruling. Right now, the court process is still ongoing with a rehearing requested by the plaintiff.
“Both sides filed their briefs last month, and the appeals court will likely make a decision as to whether or not to rehear the case at that level by the end of September,” Speros explained.
If they choose not to, an appeal could be made to the U.S. Supreme Court. Justices would then make a decision on whether to take the case up by the end of the year.
Don’t bet on wagering in the Sunshine State until after then, experts say.
“You're not going to see sports betting in Florida through the Seminole Tribe app until this case is fully adjudicated at the federal level,” Speros added.
“I don't believe sports betting will relaunch in Florida until there's a final ruling and a final denial from the highest court in the land,” Daniel Wallach, an attorney who specializes in sports gaming, told 10 Tampa Bay in June.
So maybe start thinking ahead to those Super Bowl picks?
34 states and Washington D.C. have legalized sports betting. On Thursday morning, Kentucky became the latest.
It’s estimated Florida could collect upwards of $125 million dollars in tax revenue from the industry.