Florida Casino Gambling

The Biden administration and the Seminole Tribe of Florida on Wednesday urged a federal appeals court to overturn a ruling that blocked a deal that would give the tribe control over sports betting in the state.

Florida Education Champions, a political committee sponsoring the sports-betting measure, got only 472,927 of the 900,000 signatures required to place the proposal on the November ballot.

The U.S. Department of the Interior filed a notice that it intends to appeal a ruling that invalidated a 30-year deal negotiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Seminole tribal leaders and ratified by state lawmakers in May.

They range from Florida's law cracking down on protests to whether sports betting will be allowed in the state.

The fight over a proposed constitutional amendment that could bring casinos to North Florida is heating up as the political committee behind it tries to get the proposal onto the 2022 ballot.

A lawsuit accused businesses, individuals and a committee linked to the Seminoles of trying to “sabotage” the petition drive, in part by paying people to stop gathering signatures.

The Seminole Tribe “will temporarily suspend operations of its mobile app in Florida” following the decision.

It was not immediately clear whether the Seminoles plan to suspend their online sports-betting operations after the appeals court’s decision.

Gov. Ron DeSantis opened the door to sports betting in Florida — viewed as one of the nation’s most-fertile grounds for digital wagering — through a deal signed with tribe Chairman Marcelus Osceola Jr.

Two pari-mutuel facilities contend that allowing people to place sports bets while off tribal property violates federal laws.

A political committee backed by two major online sports-betting platforms has filed a proposed constitutional amendment to appear on the 2022 ballot.

Among other things, they would establish a Florida Gaming Control Commission to police the industry, and allowing pari-mutuels to stop offering jai alai performances along with quarter-horse and harness races.