GULFPORT, Fla. — Several days after the Seminole Tribe relaunched its mobile sports betting application and announced the reintroduction of sports betting to their casinos, another betting company has filed a motion with the U.S. Supreme Court to suspend it.

A local recovering gambling addict says he supports walking back the deal that allowed the expansion, saying he doesn't think it will be good for the state's youth.

As part of a $2.5 billion deal between the Seminole Tribe and the state, sports betting is set to become legal in Florida. The Seminole's Hard Rock Bet app was initially launched in 2021, but wagering had to be paused after another Supreme Court ruling blocked the deal.

According to court documents, opponents to the expansion claim that the state of Florida "exceeded its constitutional authority by enacting legislation that expanded casino gambling in the state without citizens' approval."

“The crux of the controversy is: When the wager or the bet is made by a patron outside of Indian lands, is that allowed under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which only authorizes compacts that provide for gaming on Indian lands?" said sports legal analyst Daniel Wallach. "And is that same off-reservation wager a separate violation of the Florida State Constitutional prohibition against non-voter-approved casino gambling? Five years ago, the voters approved Amendment 3, which stripped from the legislature the ability to expand casino gambling and made it the sole prerogative of the voters.”

David Tarbert says he became addicted after picking up gambling in his teens. 

Now in his 60s, Tarbert enjoys his retirement with a solo game of tennis — a safe space for someone who has spent the last eight years recovering from a gambling addiction.

“You can’t watch a game without constantly being exposed to betting,” he said.

He was exposed to casinos and black jack on cruises with his family.

“You see other people in casinos and you think that guy has got a problem,” said Tarbert. “Addicts are great liars.”

Tarbert said he struggled with his addiction from the age of 18 to 54, when he went to rehab.

He says technology made it easier to hide his addiction from his family and it ultimately cost him his marriage, and a lot of money.

“I could be physically present, but mentally and emotionally I’m gone cause I’m looking at a phone,” he said.

Expanding that access by legalizing sports betting in Florida is what concerns Tarbert about the legalization — he believes a younger audience will be exposed to gambling.

He’s active with the nonprofit called Stop Predatory Gambling, which targets ads that promote gambling.

The group also opposes any portion of government budgets being funded by gambling.

“I’m a huge sports fan,” he said. “One of the things that happened when I quit gambling is that I got to enjoy sports again because I didn’t care about the final score.”

Tarbert said his story is a cautionary tale, and warns others that there is much more to lose than to gain from gambling.

For more information on addiction and treatment options, visit the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website.