Matthew Morgan, chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, said the approach described in the Florida agreement and the BIA language could open “a new pathway for tribes” once either takes full effect. Neither action is final yet Florida began legal online sports betting in early November, but two pari-mutuel companies quickly asked the state Supreme Court to stop it. Earlier this year, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs solicited public comment on a proposal that would apply a similar “spoke-and-hub” approach nationwide. In June, a federal appeals court in Florida upheld an agreement between the state and the Seminole Tribe, ruling that the tribe could accept mobile bets from anywhere in the state as long as computer servers processing the bets are on tribal land.
Two recent developments give supporters hope that tribal operators can get on a more level playing ground with their commercial counterparts in terms of mobile gambling.
