Seminole Tribe of Florida confirms plans for betting launch in December

Nearly three years have passed since the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state signed a gambling compact in 2021 that allows the tribe to launch sports betting state-wide and using interactive mobile platforms. Yet, a timely rollout was hampered by a litany of legal challenges that some suspect may continue in the future. For now, though, there are no immediate clouds on the horizon.

Regardless, a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has confirmed that the compact, signed by Gov. Ron De Santis in 2021 was completely legal.

This was also confirmed by the Department of the Interior which found no issues with the language of the compact and noted that should pari-mutuel businesses want to challenge the legislation, they should seek input from the Supreme Court of California instead.

Regardless, the dates for in-person betting in Florida have been set with the Seminole Tribe confirming that its casinos in Hollywood and Coconut Creek will begin accepting sports wagers on December 7.

The three properties in question are Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

More casinos across the state owned by the tribe will roll out their sports betting from December 8 through December 11, essentially making Florida the latest state to join the sports betting bonanza. On December 8, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is expected to go live followed by the Seminole Casino Immokalee and the Seminole Brighton Casino on December 11.

Commenting on this, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hailed the significance of the move, and said that the launch of regulated sports betting would add billions worth of revenue to the state’s operations. However, most people have been keeping their ears to the ground to figure out if mobile sports betting would indeed be happening – so far there is no indication that this would be the case, however.

Hard Rock International Chairman and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen was similarly pleased with the opportunity presented by the successful resolution of the matter in SCOTUS. "With the expansion of the new scope, we are creating over 1,000 new jobs made possible by the Compact," said Allen, who is also confident of the significant economic windfall for the state of Florida.

Allen also added that thanks to this decisive step Florida will now be on par with other gaming destinations.

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