Governor Ron DeSantis Needs The President To Salvage $2.5 Billion Seminole Tribe Gambling Deal

Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis may now need the help of his political adversary, Democratic President Biden, to help him salvage a tribal sports gambling deal. Ron DeSantis had negotiated the deal last year but was tanked by a Republican-leaning judge appointed by Trump.

Earlier, the $2.5 billion deal was negotiated by Ron DeSantis with Florida’s Seminole Tribe but was stopped by Dabney Friedrich, the US Dist. The judge was appointed by Donald Trump. Lawyers representing the Seminole tribe sought to intercede in the legal challenge, though the judge refused the request. Now layers representing the tribe plan to contest that verdict along with the complete ruling.

Ron DeSantis was not aware of the decision till he was asked by a during an early press meet in Florida’s Fort Lauderdale this Tuesday. The department has not commented on the matter as yet.

Ron DeSantis In Difficult Position As Only The Federal Dept. Of Interior Can Appeal Against The Decision

The ruling puts Ron DeSantis in an awkward position as the fate of the deal depends upon the federal interior department, which initially approved the compact. Only this department can appeal against the decision by the judge.

A spokesperson for DeSantis said that they were reviewing what they termed as a ‘perplexing ruling.’ Christina Pushaw said that there were several appealable issues.

The motion states that the sovereign and economic interests of the Seminole Tribe will be gravely damaged if no stay is issued before the resolution of the legal issues. It said that the public interest was to maintain the Compact and a status quo, thus allowing an activity that has been approved by federal, tribal, and Florida’s tribal laws to continue till there is a pending outcome over the appeal.

The Tribal Council chair of the Seminoles, Marcellus Osceola Jr. declared that the council had spent around $95 million and had hired over 200 people to develop sports betting.

The plaintiffs in the case argued that the deal allowed gambling outside tribal lands. State legislators had added a clause that stated that sports betting could be removed and other parts of the argument could go ahead. But the interior department lawyers failed to highlight that point said State Rep. Randy Fine.