A Florida appeals court has upheld a state law linked to Florida’s gambling overhaul and Seminole Tribe gaming compact, rejecting a challenge from Jefferson County Kennel Club and allowing regulators to move forward with revoking the company’s pari-mutuel wagering permit.
In a June 3 decision, the First District Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling that favored the Florida Gaming Control Commission. The judges turned away several constitutional arguments raised by Jefferson County Kennel Club, known as JCKC, over a statute that requires regulators to revoke permits held by pari-mutuel operators that did not possess an operating license during the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Florida backs permit ruling amid Seminole gaming overhaul
JCKC maintained that the measure functioned as an unconstitutional special law because only a small number of permit holders were affected. The appellate court found otherwise, concluding that lawmakers adopted the provision as part of a statewide effort to modernize gambling regulation after Florida outlawed greyhound racing and entered into a new gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Writing for the court, Chief Judge Osterhaus said the challenged language was part of the Legislature’s “wider scheme for updating Florida’s regulation of gaming to align with a constitutional amendment and the Gaming Compact.”
The panel also rejected due process challenges. According to the opinion, Florida courts have consistently viewed gambling activity as a privilege granted by the state rather than a protected property right. The judges pointed to earlier rulings and wrote that “[t]here is no constitutional right to conduct a gambling business.”
The court further determined that the revocation requirement bears a reasonable relationship to legitimate government interests. Judges said the law can streamline oversight by reducing the number of permit holders subject to regulation and allowing state resources to be directed toward active operations. In the court’s view, “enhancing administrative efficiency is a permissible legislative goal.”
Another argument centered on procedural due process. The court said the legislative process provided opportunities for public participation and notice. Judges also noted that JCKC received notice of the proposed revocation and had avenues to contest the action through administrative and judicial proceedings.
The court was likewise unpersuaded by claims that the statute interfered with contractual obligations. Although JCKC had pursued a possible transaction involving the permit and obtained a letter of intent from a potential buyer, the judges found no binding agreement existed.
The ruling arrives as litigation tied to Florida’s gaming compact continues to draw national attention. In 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge targeting the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s online sports betting compact after lower courts upheld the arrangement. Before that, the U.S. Department of Justice argued that the dispute did not belong before the nation’s highest court, supporting the position that previous rulings should remain in place.
“For these reasons, the judgment of the trial court is AFFIRMED,” the court stated.
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