Jim Rosica- 2018 Legislative Session
- Dana Young
- DraftKings
- exclusivity
- FanDuel
- fantasy sports
- games of chance
- Games of skill
- gaming expansion
- Gary Bitner
- HB 223
- Jason Brodeur
- Jim Shore
- Mike La Rosa
- Regulated Industries Committee
- revenue sharing
- SB 374
- SB 840
- Seminole Compact
- Seminole Tribe of Florida
- Tourism & Gaming Control Subcommittee
- Travis Hutson
The Seminole Tribe of Florida‘s top in-house lawyer told lawmakers this week that their fantasy sports bills are a dealbreaker.
A $200 million dealbreaker.
The Tribe now says fantasy sports bills filed for the 2018 Legislative Session, if passed, would violate the Seminole Compact. That’s the gambling agreement struck by the state and the Seminoles that, among other things, promises them exclusive rights to certain games. In return, the Tribe pays the state hundreds of millions per year.
Break that deal, the Tribe says, and it’s entitled to pay not one more dime. Around 3 million Floridians say they play some sort of fantasy sports.
Jim Shore, the Tribe’s general counsel, sent a warning letter dated Tuesday to Sen. Travis Hutson, a St. Augustine Republican, and Rep. Mike La Rosa, a St. Cloud Republican. Hutson chairs the Senate’s Regulated Industries Committee, which oversees gambling issues; La Rosa chairs the House’s Tourism & Gaming Control Subcommittee.
While Tribal leaders “remain willing” to talk about the legislation, Shore said any violation of their exclusivity deal “would allow the Tribe to cease all revenue sharing payments to the State.” That amounts to over $200 million yearly.
But that’s only if the state “expands” gambling. Fantasy sports fans have long argued their hobby – such as played on websites like FanDuel and DraftKings – is a game of skill and not of chance, and thus shouldn’t be considered gambling.
A bill (HB 223) by Republican Rep. Jason Brodeur of Sanford would exempt fantasy sports play from state gambling regulation. Another bill (SB 374) by GOP Sen. Dana Young of Tampa would do the same.
Past measures in the Legislature would have gone further by explicitly declaring that fantasy play is not gambling.
Hutson’s own omnibus gambling bill for 2018 (SB 840) includes a section on fantasy sports, defining it as being driven by player performance rather than team performance, and as long as someone isn’t “commissioner” of more than ten leagues, he is exempt from regulation.
A proposed omnibus gambling bill failed this past session, getting caught up in a late-session meltdown over a renewed blackjack agreement with the Seminoles and related measures that would have expanded gambling in the state.
Requests for comment on the letter are pending with lawmakers.
Jacksonville correspondent A.G. Gancarski contributed to this report.
3 comments
MICHAEL
December 8, 2017 at 10:04 am
say yes to the fantasy bill.. I want to become a legal bookie.. I think I could keep my leagues to just ten… wow and I would have a title as commissioner.. Florida is great for anything that is illegal because it all becomes legal once the State gets to make decisions. Dumb as stumps..
Joey
December 9, 2017 at 7:45 am
Is it just me that I think the Seminole’s want a 100% control of any type of gambling revenue in the state? Paying 200 million per year is nothing and the Seminoles know it. There fooling every Floridian including politicians on this MONOPOLY play in Florida. Why don’t we ask real gaming companies like MGM, Wynn, or Sands how much they would pay for the exclusive rights to gambling in Florida. Nothing but greed by the Seminoles!! Wake up Florida!!
MICHAEL LAFROSCIA
December 11, 2017 at 1:18 pm
Unfortunately Joey, the Federal Government made up this rule. The tribe no matter which Tribe in the USA have exclusive rights. Gaming being one of them. They can have competition but they always will get the better deal. The Seminoles however are looking at pumping 3 Billion in a 7 year period for those rights. The last deal was 1 billion for 5 years.
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