In-person sports betting in Florida will finally go online in December. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
After a long and difficult legal battle, Florida finally has a date to launch its sports betting market. The Seminole Tribe of Florida – owner of Hard Rock International – has announced it will launch its in-person offering at six casinos this December.
The launch, which also includes craps and roulette, will take place on December 7 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, the Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. That will also be the case at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa following a day later, while Seminole Casino Immokalee and Seminole Brighton Casino launch their respective offerings on December 11th.
historic legal victory”
Marcellus Osceola Jr., chairman of the Seminole Tribe, hailed the “historic legal victory” that paved the way for the launch. “The Seminole Tribe thanks the state of Florida, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice for defending our agreement,” Osceola said Wednesday.
The legal victory to which the chairman refers was achieved against West Flagler Associates, a group of poker rooms that disputed the legality of the betting agreement signed by the Seminole and the governor. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Seminole, rejecting an emergency motion to block the agreement.
Hard Rock Bet, the online sportsbook operated by Seminole, initially began operating in Florida for less than a month in November 2021 before legal challenges forced its closure. Although the tribe has announced its plans for a land-based launch, it has not yet confirmed when it plans to revive its online offering.
