Posted on: November 7, 2023, 06:08h.
Final up to date on: November 7, 2023, 06:53h.
On-line sports activities betting has returned to Florida ahead of anticipated. The Seminole Tribe this week quietly relaunched its Laborious Rock Bets cellular platform within the Sunshine State, a month earlier than in-person betting is about to start at tribal casinos across the state.
Entry to the web sportsbook is restricted to present clients who signed up for an account when Laborious Rock Bets first launched two years in the past, in addition to on line casino patrons who take part within the Unity by Laborious Rock loyalty program.
The platform was on-line for just a few weeks in 2021, and anybody who signed up then can place bets now. Wagering can also be accessible for anybody who was within the on line casino loyalty program earlier than Monday, Nov. 6.
New clients can join a waitlist, however it’s unclear after they can start inserting bets.
Courtroom Problem Continues
The cellular launch comes amid ongoing litigation by opponents of the Seminole Tribe’s monopoly on sports activities betting, led by pari-mutuel operator West Flagler Associates. It signifies the tribe’s optimism that the gaming compact it signed with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will finally survive.
After shedding an enchantment in federal courtroom this fall, West Flagler filed a brand new problem within the state supreme courtroom, alleging that the gaming compact violates the Florida structure. The briefing continues in that case with a reply due from DeSantis subsequent month. It’s unclear how lengthy that case will take to resolve.
On the coronary heart of West Flagler’s argument is that the tribe can’t settle for sports activities bets positioned off of its reservation with out violating the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in addition to state gaming legal guidelines. Supporters of the compact say that the cellular sportsbook is authorized as a result of it’s being run via pc servers situated on tribal land.
A key turning level within the federal case got here final month when the U.S. Supreme Courtroom let the gaming compact take impact, however opponents can nonetheless enchantment that call.
The federal case was narrowly centered on the function of the Inside Division, which oversees tribal gaming. Inside stated its authorization prolonged solely as far as gaming that occurred on tribal lands themselves and that any off-reservation gaming can be topic to state authority.
In-Individual Betting Set for Subsequent Month
The launch of the Laborious Rock Bets platform means present cellular clients get to put wagers a month earlier than sports activities betting is offered to everybody on the six brick-and-mortar casinos the tribe operates in Florida.
Sports activities bets will be capable of be positioned in particular person starting Dec. 7 at three Seminole casinos in South Florida and proceed to be rolled out at different places over subsequent days.
