U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a second extension to file a response in the case of West Flagler Associates v. Haaland. The case challenges the legality of the gaming compact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state.
Prelogar writes in the request that a further extension until May 12, 2024, is needed to file the government’s response, because the attorneys with principal responsibility for preparation of the response were heavily engaged with other matters. She also notes the attorneys for West Flagler do not oppose the request.
This is the second request for an extension. The Department of Justice was initially ordered to reply on behalf of the Department of Interior by February 12, until the court approved the first request for an extension until April 12.
The court is being asked to rule whether or not U.S. Interior Secretary Debra Halland was correct to approve in 2021 the compact between the Seminoles and the state of Florida, allowing online bets to be placed anywhere in Florida if the transaction is handled on a server located on tribal land.
The tribe launched Hard Rock Bet in Florida in the fall of 2021 after Governor Ron DeSantis approved the compact, practically giving the Seminoles exclusivity to offer sports betting in the state. However, it was halted weeks later when a federal judge ruled against the legality of the compact. Despite continuing legal challenges, the tribe relaunched Hard Rock Bet on November 7, 2023.
