Seminole Tribe to Introduce New Casino Games, Sports Betting in Florida

Article by : Erik Gibbs Nov 2, 2023

• 
• 

Starting in December, gamblers will have the opportunity to place sports, craps and roulette bets at the six casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including their Hard Rock property in Tampa. This announcement was made by tribal officials on Wednesday.

For the past two years, sports betting in Florida has been in a state of uncertainty due to an ongoing legal dispute surrounding a $2.5 billion gambling agreement between the Seminole Tribe and the state.

However, the Seminoles have now indicated that they are moving forward with in-person sports betting and introducing new casino games following a recent US Supreme Court decision that gave them the green light.

The potential relaunch of an online sports betting app for Florida residents to place bets throughout the state is yet to be determined.

Jim Allen, the CEO of Seminole Gaming and Chairman of Hard Rock International, described the development as a historic milestone that positions Florida alongside renowned global gaming destinations.

However, it’s important to note that the sports betting matter is still entangled in legal proceedings, with an ongoing lawsuit in the Florida Supreme Court and the potential for a comprehensive appeal to the US Supreme Court.

The Seminole Tribe had no updates to provide on their plans for offering online sports betting as of Wednesday, according to Gary Bitner, a Seminole Tribe spokesman.

In 2021, the Seminoles briefly launched a sports betting app but ceased accepting wagers following a court ruling.

The new casino betting services will become available on December 8 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. In South Florida, they will commence on December 7 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

On December 11, the launch will take place at Seminole Casino Immokalee, near Naples, and Seminole Brighton Casino, situated on the northwest side of Lake Okeechobee.

Governor Ron DeSantis applauded this development in a statement, emphasizing that the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s new initiative will lead to job creation, increased tourism and the generation of billions in additional revenue for the state.

The expansion of gambling is anticipated to result in the creation of over 1,000 new jobs, as stated by Jim Allen. The launch has been named “A New Era in Florida Gaming” and will be commemorated with star-studded celebrations at the casinos, according to tribal officials.

The 2021 gambling agreement negotiated by Governor DeSantis granted the Seminoles the ability to provide sports betting, including online wagering via computer servers located on tribal lands.

In return, the Seminoles agreed to pay $2.5 billion to the state over the next five years, with the potential for even greater amounts in subsequent years.

However, the gambling pact faced legal challenges from two competing gambling operators, West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corp.

They filed a federal lawsuit arguing that it would permit gambling outside of tribal lands, which they believed would violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

A separate lawsuit before the state Supreme Court focused on whether sports betting violated Amendment 3, which mandated voter approval for gambling expansions.