Florida Retail Sports Betting Expected to Launch in December
Florida sports betting is taking yet another turn after a surprise announcement Wednesday. The Seminole Tribe of Florida announced plans to launch in-person sports betting at three of its casinos on Dec. 7. Additional locations are expected to immediately follow on Dec. 8 and Dec. 11.
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek are expected to be the first ones to offer sports wagering.
Sports betting in Florida has been held up in a long and winding legal battle since 2021, but this latest announcement could signal "a new era in Florida gaming," according to a statement release by the tribe. The plans to launch in-person sports wagering at Seminole casinos comes one week after a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Seminole Compact to offer sports betting.
The Seminoles did not specify when they would allow mobile betting on the Hard Rock Bet platform and that matter is at the heart of a legal case between West Flagler and Associates and the U.S. Department of the Interior. WFA has already announced that it will appeal its case by the Nov. 20 deadline.
“With the expansion of the new scope, we are creating over 1,000 new jobs made possible by the Compact,” said Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming and Chairman of Hard Rock International. “This is a historic milestone that immediately puts Florida in the same league with the world’s great gaming destinations.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed it into law as he expects sports betting to bring billions of dollars of revenue to the state as well as create thousands of jobs.
"The Seminole Tribe of Florida's new initiative will create jobs, increase tourism, and provide billions in added revenue for our state," DeSantis said in a release. "I was proud to work with the Tribe on our historic Gaming Compact and I look forward to its full implementation."
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