After a long and arduous legal battle, Florida finally has a date for the launch of its sports betting market. The Seminole Tribe of Florida – owner of Hard Rock International – has announced that it will launch its in-person offering at six casinos throughout December this year.
The launch, which will also include craps, and roulette, will go ahead at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek on December 7. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa will follow a day later, while Seminole Casino Immokalee and Seminole Brighton Casino will launch their respective offerings on December 11.
historic legal victory”
Marcellus Osceola Jr, Seminole Tribe Chairman, has hailed the “historic legal victory” that has paved the way for the launch. “The Seminole Tribe thanks the State of Florida, the US Department of the Interior and the US Department of Justice for defending our compact,” Osceola said on Wednesday.
The legal victory that the Chairman refers to was secured against the West Flagler Associates, a group of poker rooms that denied the legality of the betting compact signed by the Seminole and Governor. Last week, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Seminole, rejecting an emergency bid to block the compact.
Hard Rock Bet, the online sportsbook operated by the Seminole, initially went live in Florida in November 2021 for less than a month before the legal challenge forced its shutdown. Despite revealing its plans for a land-based launch, the tribe has not yet confirmed when it intends to revive its online offering.