The coalition “No Casinos,” which opposes legalized gambling, has requested the Florida Supreme Court to grant them permission to file a belated legal brief in support of West Flagler’s effort to overturn the gambling pact between Florida and the Seminole Tribe.
“No Casinos” asserts in their brief that the gambling agreement is invalid because it authorizes statewide online sports wagering. This contravenes Amendment 3 of the Florida Constitution.
“No Casinos” was the driving force behind Amendment 3, which mandates that no new casinos can be established in Florida without a majority vote of the electorate.
The legal dispute, West Flagler vs. Ron DeSantis, centers on whether the governor overstepped his authority when he approved the agreement with the Seminole Tribe in 2021.
The agreement grants the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to provide online sports betting through their Hard Rock brand via a specialized system.
A legal brief submitted by an individual or entity not directly involved in a case is known as an amicus curiae brief.
“No Casinos” submitted their legal argument after the established deadline. The deadline for filing briefs in this case was October 5th.
The “No Casinos” group missed the cutoff for their legal argument, so they requested a 10-day extension from the court. The court agreed to listen to their plea.
However, legal professionals are unsure if the court will actually grant the extension.
“I doubt they’ll provide more time,” said Jeff Ifrah, a lawyer specializing in gambling regulations. “Courts usually disregard what legislators say about their own laws.”
“The court will concentrate on the law itself and how it should be understood,” Ifrah added.
The attorneys representing Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, responded to the “No Casinos” request. DeSantis stated he doesn’t object to them submitting their argument, but he’ll only back an extension if he receives one as well.