Another group has come forward to file an amicus brief in West Flagler’s petition to challenge the legality of sports betting in Florida.
The group who filed the brief is called Florida Gambling Opponents. It is a group comprised of local businesses and community members that oppose any form of gambling expansion in the state. It is not the same group as No Casinos, Inc., which filed an amicus brief in the Florida state Supreme Court case.
During the relatively short brief, the group reiterated several of the arguments that have already been suggested by other briefs at both the state and federal level. It called out the Department of the Interior saying it was flouting its statutory duty by upholding the compact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state.
In particular, the brief focuses on Amendment X, a constitutional amendment passed in 2018 that would take any major casino gambling expansion to the voters before it could become legal and take effect.
The brief also focused a section on the core of West Flagler’s argument, which is that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) cannot authorize gaming outside of tribal lands, even with something like the state’s hub and spoke argument that bets take place at the location of the server.
Attorney Daniel Wallach has also filed a brief in the case. In the meantime, the DOI asked for an extension to file its response to the petition. The court granted the extension and the group has until April 12 to respond.
