Hard Rock Bet goes live ahead of planned Thursday rollout

Hard Rock Bet is all defiance in Florida, and justly so. The sportsbook and betting brand owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida has just been through a two-year-long crucible that saw it protect its right to operate digital wagering products and take on different fights across the nation and the state’s highest courts.

Existing legal challenges to the tribe’s right under a new gambling compact to operate online betting in Florida have not shaken Hard Rock Bet’s optimism about the future and the platform already launched on Tuesday, December 5, ahead of its planned release on Thursday, December 7.

Florida customers can now benefit from a fully digital mobile betting experience which has promptly put the state on par with the 35 or so other places in the United States where you can place a digital wager legally. The state’s NFL games will most likely draw the biggest action, with the Jaguars playing at the Cleveland Browns this Sunday and the Dolphins hosting the Monday Night Football game as well.

All of this happens against a backdrop of a lawsuit that has been filed with the Florida Supreme Court by West Flagler and Associates who insist that the compact ratified by Gov. Ron DeSantis is not legal. So far, though, the plaintiffs have not had much luck, as their requests to stay the launch of the app have been dismissed by the judiciary.

Hard Rock Bet has already been available once before. The app launched briefly in 2021, before the legal debacle saw it shut down. Then, in November 2023, emboldened by a decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, the app launched in a limited capacity, although not much detail was immediately clear.

Hard Rock Chairman Jim Allen has cautioned that it’s likely for more pari-mutuel businesses to launch their legal challenges to the new app, but that the company was confident it can take on those challenges, citing past legal track record.

"I think we are always respectful to the legal process. So, until a court decides a different direction, we move forward," Allan said. Presently, people in Florida who are at least 21 years of age can use the app. So far, Florida is happy to welcome Hard Rock Bet, and chances are that the tribe may even consider online casino games of chance before long.

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