As we bid adieu to 2021 and prepare to usher in 2022, it’s a good time to look back on what’s occurred in the world of sports betting and where the industry stands in the US. Preparations are underway for the annual New Year’s celebration at New York City’s Times Square. New York was one of several states that passed legislation that either legalized or expanded sports betting in 2021, and mobile wagering should be rolled out statewide in the coming weeks. (Image: ABC7 New York) Sports betting is legal and available in some fashion in 30 US states, as well as the District of Columbia. Two other states – Nebraska and Ohio – have legalized it, but do have any sportsbooks operational just yet.
Then, there’s Florida, which started and paused sports betting in the course of a month.
The state legalized sports betting this year as it amended the gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe. The compact gave the Seminoles exclusive statewide rights to brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and mobile wagering.
Two pari-mutuel operators sued the federal government after the Interior Department failed to issue a decision on the compact after its 45-day review. It was a move that deemed the compact legal to the extent it complied with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). Magic City Casino and Bonita Springs Poker Room argued statewide sports betting violated the act, since it included bets placed off tribal lands.
Seminole Gaming launched the Hard Rock Sportsbook app on Nov. 1. But later that month, US District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled in favor of the pari-mutuel operators. In doing so, she tossed aside the entire compact, and not just off-tribal land sports betting provisions.
The Hard Rock app remained operational for a couple of weeks after the ruling, as the Seminole Tribe sought a stay on the order. It was finally suspended earlier this month after a federal appeals court denied the stay.
The case remains in the courts, as the Seminole Tribe has appealed Friedrich’s ruling. That means one of the highest-profile sports betting stories in 2021 will remain one for 2022 as well, since both […]
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