The Seminole Tribe of Florida has sued DraftKings, its chief executive Jason Robins and DraftKings Predictions in Broward County, accusing the company of operating an unlicensed sports-betting business in the state through Pick6 and its Sports & Casino Super App.
The 72-page complaint says the products mimic a conventional sportsbook, offering moneylines, point spreads, totals, player propositions and parlays to Florida customers. The Tribe alleges that DraftKings has no Florida sportsbook licence and that its operations infringe the Tribe’s exclusive online sports-betting rights under the state’s 2021 gaming compact.
The Tribe is seeking an injunction to stop DraftKings from operating, advertising or processing the disputed wagers in Florida. It also seeks disgorgement of Florida profits, restitution, legal fees and other relief, with recovered funds directed to consumer-protection initiatives and problem-gambling recovery programmes.
The lawsuit alleges violations of Florida gambling and unfair-competition laws, the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and Florida’s anti-racketeering law. Robins is accused of personally directing the launch and expansion of the Florida products.
At the centre of the dispute is whether products marketed as fantasy contests or prediction markets are distinct from sports betting. The complaint says DraftKings’ Florida product pages do not meaningfully differ from those in states where the company is licensed to run a sportsbook. It points to gambling-problem disclosures as evidence that the offerings are gambling products, and includes promotional material saying DraftKings was “now in Florida.”
DraftKings rejects that characterisation. It says its prediction-market offering complies with applicable law and the federal framework under the Commodity Exchange Act, while Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy-sports game using a “more or less” format tied to individual athletes’ performance metrics. The company says its Florida app offers prediction markets, free-to-play pools, pick’em contests and horse racing, and that DraftKings Sportsbook and DraftKings Casino are unavailable in the state.
The compact gives the Seminole Tribe exclusive online sports-betting rights for nearly 25 years, with bets deemed to occur on tribal land where the Tribe’s servers are located. In return, it guarantees at least $2.5 billion in payments to Florida in its first five years. Hard Rock Bet, the Tribe’s mobile platform, resumed operating in Florida after the U.S. Supreme Court declined in 2024 to hear a challenge to the compact.
The Tribe says Florida’s regulated system includes age verification, problem-gambling resources, state oversight and limits on some bets, including college player propositions. It alleges that DraftKings operated outside those protections, diverted revenue from the Tribe and the state, and misled customers into believing the products were authorised and regulated in Florida.
DraftKings offers conventional sports betting in 27 states, while offering prediction markets in Florida. The company said it respected Seminole sovereignty and remained confident in its legal position.
The case follows an August lawsuit in South Carolina accusing DraftKings Predictions and Polymarket of offering unlawful sports wagering through event contracts, as we reported. The Florida suit asks the state court to decide whether the disputed fantasy and prediction-market products fall outside the compact or amount to unauthorised sports betting.
