Seminole Tribe Relaunches Mobile Sports Betting in Florida

Players in Florida can now access online sports betting through Hard Rock Bet, operated by the Seminole tribe. This early access is specifically for those who have previously placed bets with the operator and members of Hard Rock’s Unity loyalty program who meet the criteria. This development follows the tribe's announcement of its sports betting relaunch in Florida. Beginning December 7, craps, roulette, and sports betting will be available at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. These options will also be accessible at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa starting December 8. Furthermore, on December 11, Seminole Casino Immokalee and Seminole Brighton Casino will join the offering. Hard Rock Bet communicated the launch of early access through a post on X, previously known as Twitter, stating, "Early access to Hard Rock Bet is now live in Florida! Those who have bet previously with Hard Rock Bet Florida, including qualifying Unity by Hard Rock loyalty members, can bet now." The Seminoles experienced a shift in their sports betting efforts after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a motion from West Flagler Associates, a pari-mutuel betting operator, in October. While this decision didn’t eliminate challenges for the Seminoles, it opened a pathway for the tribe to proceed. Previously, Hard Rock Bet was operational in Florida in 2021 following a gaming compact approved by Governor Ron DeSantis, which allowed the Seminoles to offer exclusive sports betting. This was subsequently halted in December 2021 by a ruling from the District of Columbia that the compact contravened the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. This ruling came after a lawsuit from West Flagler and Bonita-Fort Myers, which questioned the legality of offering sports betting via tribal servers as opposed to betting on tribal land. In September, West Flagler initiated a legal challenge against DeSantis and the Florida state legislature, contesting their authority regarding the approval of the 2021 gaming compact. West Flagler increased its legal actions in August 2023 by filing a rehearing petition concerning a prior loss against Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland in June 2023.