Since the U. S. Supreme Court struck down the laws on sports betting in the States of America, it seems as if EVERY state has opened the gates to the industry. There are several reasons behind it but suffice it to say that these state legislatures have seen that there is an easy revenue stream to be had. Recently, two states have entertained regulation of their own individual state sports betting operations, with one of them ready to go at some point shortly.
Florida Ready for Action After False Start
The state of Florida, under a compact signed between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, opened sports betting in the state back in the fall of 2021. For a bit over a month, the Seminoles sports betting operations took in bets, until a decision by a federal court struck down the compact as violating the law. Since that time, the case has been tied up in the courts, but that changed earlier this summer.
In what was a stunning decision, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals overturned the decision that held up sports betting, stating that the original lower court decision inappropriately applied the law. Those who are looking to block the compact – the Department of the Interior, which oversees tribal gaming, and several gaming entities in the Sunshine State – have ninety days to try to appeal the decision. Whether that occurs or not, the Seminoles do not have anything that is currently blocking them from offering sports betting again.
That decision could come sooner rather than later. The NCAA college football season begins on August 26 with “Week 0” (if someone can explain why we need to annotate it as “zero week,” please let me know), with the National Football League season beginning soon afterward on September 7. The Seminoles got a taste of what that was like in 2021 during their short-lived first foray into sports betting and there is the potential for billions to be made by the tribe. Thus, the Seminoles may move to reignite their sports betting operations before the start of those two seasons rather than wait for a final decision on the issue from the legal system.
Kentucky Proposes Sports Betting Regulations
The Commonwealth of Kentucky has proposed the requirements that would have to be met for potential customers to take part in their sports betting operations. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which would administrate any sports betting industry in the Bluegrass State, released its list of requirements that would have to be met by potential gamblers. Those punters would have to register their accounts with the state and provide their critical personal data such as birth date and Social Security number, with any attempts to fraudulently establish an account resulting in the person’s immediate ban from participating.
Additionally, the KHRC has proposed a litany of rules for potential licensees that want to take part in the state. These licensees will have to meet stringent rules for ensuring that their customers are legally allowed to play in Kentucky, hold this information on-site, and maintain extensive financial data for every account. To this point, only two potential operations, FanDuel Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook, have passed the state’s guidelines to be able to offer their product in the state.
Even with the approval of regulations, Kentucky still has some time before it can accept its first bet. The application process for potential services, both online and live retail operations, will begin on September 7 (live retail) and September 28 (online). Only after thoroughly examining the potential licensees will Kentucky join the 34 states and Washington, D. C., that currently offer sports betting in some manner.
