The state wants a Leon County circuit judge to toss out a lawsuit that alleges a deal allowing the Seminole Tribe of Florida to offer online sports betting violates a 2018 constitutional amendment aimed at limiting casino gambling.
Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office last week filed a 34-page motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which was filed in April by Protect the Constitution, LLC.
The motion raised a series of arguments, including that Protect the Constitution does not have legal standing to pursue the challenge and that the tribe-run sports betting is allowed under the constitutional amendment.
Gov. Ron DeSantis reached the gambling deal, known as a compact, with the tribe in 2021. The deal, which was ratified by the Legislature, allowed the tribe to accept mobile sports bets placed anywhere in the state, with the wagers run through servers on tribal land. Such gambling started in late 2023.
