A few weeks ago, I brought you the story that the writing was on the wall for sports betting this year. For those eager to bet on sports in Florida, it was a bittersweet type of story. The bitter. It’s highly unlikely the state’s new Seminole Compact with the inclusion of sports betting is going to survive a legal challenge over 2018’s Amendment 3. The sweet, hope isn’t lost because two of the biggest players in the industry are going big on Florida in 2022. One way to work around a constitutional amendment is with another one and that’s exactly what I reported Draft Kings and FanDuel would be teaming up to do. Now it’s official.
Having formed a political action committee called Florida Education Champions, Draft Kings, and FanDuel, funded with $10 million from each of them are ready for your signature. The proposed amendment’s summary reads:
Authorizes sports and event betting under Florida law at professional sports venues and pari-mutuel facilities and statewide via online sports betting platforms by entities authorized to conduct online sports betting, and by Native American tribes with a Florida gaming compact, only for persons age21 years or older. Requires legislative action to regulate sports betting. The legislature may tax betting revenues, and all such taxes are required to supplement the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.
The process now is to get on the ballot. And getting on the ballot is anything but a given in Florida. First up the 891,589 signatures necessary. And so, the process to attempt to in part undo through a constitutional amendment what was done by a constitutional amendment officially begins. If you’re a registered Florida voter and would like to sign online – here's where to do it.