Seminole Tribe sues DraftKings over Florida sports prediction markets
The tribe accuses DraftKings and CEO Jason Robins of running an illegal sportsbook in Florida through prediction markets and Pick6, violating its exclusive gaming compact.
The Seminole Tribe has filed suit against DraftKings and its chief executive Jason Robins, alleging the operator is running an unlawful sports betting business in Florida, SBC Americas reports.
The 72-page complaint was lodged in Broward County Circuit Court on 8 October and names DraftKings Inc., GUS III LLC (the legal entity behind DraftKings Predictions) and Robins as defendants.
The tribe argues that DraftKings' sports prediction markets and its Pick6 fantasy product amount to sports wagering, breaching both Florida law and the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Under its tribal-state gaming compact, the Seminole Tribe holds exclusive rights to offer online sports betting in Florida through Hard Rock Bet, the only platform authorised to do so under state law.
The complaint states that Florida "has decided that legal sports betting should be conducted through a single, accountable, trustworthy, and heavily regulated operator, and it selected the Tribe, not DraftKings, as the steward of its policy."
Central to the tribe's case is DraftKings' nationwide "super app," which offers licensed sportsbook or casino products in states where it holds operator licences, but switches to sports prediction markets elsewhere, including Florida.
The lawsuit contends these markets mirror traditional wagering formats such as moneylines, totals, spreads, parlays and player props, and cites public remarks by Robins describing the prediction contracts as functionally similar to DraftKings' regulated sportsbook.
According to the complaint, Robins directed the company to prioritise launching in "states that do not have legal online sports betting," a strategy the tribe says does not apply to Florida, which already has a regulated market it is not licensed to enter.
The tribe further notes that Robins previously said DraftKings would avoid offering prediction markets in states where it holds a betting licence, to protect its standing with regulators, but argues the company has shown no such restraint toward Florida's compact.
Responding to the suit, DraftKings said it remains confident in the legality of its offering. Senior Director of Communications Stephen Miraglia said the prediction markets operate "in accordance with applicable law and the federal regulatory framework established under the Commodity Exchange Act," and described Pick6 as "a peer-to-peer fantasy sports variant centered on a simple 'more or less' mechanic tied to individual athlete performance metrics and is not sports betting."
Miraglia added that DraftKings holds "deep respect for Seminole Tribe's sovereignty" while maintaining its legal position. The company's website also states it does not permit trading on tribal lands in any state.
The complaint also targets DraftKings' advertising, pointing to campaigns declaring "DraftKings Sports" was "Now Live in Florida!" alongside similar messaging used in states such as California and Texas, where the operator likewise lacks a regulated sportsbook licence.
The tribe alleges the company has run extensive advertising in Florida designed to make consumers believe its offering is legal and regulated, stating that DraftKings "openly advertise that they offer a sportsbook throughout Florida" while concealing that it is unauthorised.
The lawsuit also revisits DraftKings' earlier push to change Florida's regulatory landscape, noting the company spent more than $20m, alongside FanDuel, backing a 2021 ballot initiative aimed at opening the state's sports betting market to additional operators.