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State of Play’s TL;DR
- The Seminole Tribe of Florida filed suit against DraftKings, CEO Jason Robins, and DraftKings Predictions.
- The tribe claims the company’s Pick6 and sports-contract products operate as an illegal sportsbook in Florida.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has sued DraftKings, CEO Jason Robins, and GUS III LLC, which does business as DraftKings Predictions, alleging the company’s Pick6 and sports-contract offerings amount to illegal sports betting in Florida.
Filed in Broward County state court, the 72-page complaint argues those products violate Florida law and the tribe’s exclusive online sports betting rights under its 2021 gaming compact with the state.
The tribe is seeking an injunction, disgorgement of Florida profits and revenue, and a court declaration that the products are illegal gambling.
Tribe says DraftKings products function like sportsbook wagers
According to the complaint, Florida users can wager through the DraftKings app on moneylines, point spreads, game totals, player performances, and combinations of multiple outcomes. The tribe argues that makes the offerings indistinguishable from sportsbook betting.
In one passage, the filing states:
“There is no distinction – visual, functional, or experiential – between a sports bet powered by DraftKings Predictions in the Super App sportsbook and a wager placed on the Super App sportsbook in a state where DraftKings is licensed to operate.”
The complaint also says Pick6 is “functionally identical” to player prop bets offered by regulated sportsbooks, including Hard Rock Bet, the tribe’s online sportsbook in Florida.
The suit includes five counts, including a Florida RICO claim against Robins, a Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act claim, and unfair competition.
DraftKings rejects the allegations
DraftKings disputed the tribe’s claims and said its products comply with applicable law.
A company spokesperson said DraftKings’ prediction markets offering operates under “the federal regulatory framework established under the Commodity Exchange Act.” The spokesperson also said Pick6 is “a peer-to-peer fantasy sports variant” and “is not sports betting.”
The allegations have not been tested in court.
Why the case matters
The legal fight centers on the Seminole Tribe’s 2021 compact with Florida, which gave the tribe exclusive rights to offer online sports betting in the state through Hard Rock Bet. The compact includes revenue-sharing payments with a guaranteed minimum of $2.5 billion during its first five years.
Earlier challenges to that compact failed in federal and state court, and the US Supreme Court declined to hear one challenge in 2024. Gov. Ron DeSantis has also said the agreement contemplated that the tribe would have the ability to run sports betting in Florida.
Based on reporting by Sergey Demidov for RG.
