Florida To Launch Sportsbooks At Seminole Casinos In December

Florida residents will soon have access to regulated sports betting in the coming weeks. The Seminole Tribe has announced plans to launch retail Florida sportsbooks at Hard Rock Casinos across the Sunshine State. Beginning Dec. 7, sports betting, craps, and roulette will go live at local casinos. There will be a staggard launch of sports betting across the state beginning in South Florida.

Fans are still likely months away from seeing the results of the online sports betting case, which means no confirmed timetable on a potential launch of online sportsbooks in Florida. However, some reporting indicates an online launch even before the retail sportsbooks.

Florida Sports Betting Incoming

This announcement comes following several legal wins in the online sports betting case for Florida. While online sports betting has no sign of a launch date or window, local bettors will soon have access to in-person betting.

“The Seminole Tribe thanks the State of Florida, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Department of Justice for defending our Compact. By working together, the Tribe, the State, and the federal government achieved a historic legal victory,” said Marcellus Osceola Jr., Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

The launch will begin on Thursday, Dec. 7, at several South Florida locations:

• Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
• Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood
• Seminole Casino Coconut Creek

Beginning Dec. 8, sports betting will launch at:

• Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa

On Monday, Dec. 11, operations will launch at:

• Seminole Casino Immokalee near Naples
• Seminole Brighton Casino on the northwest side of Lake Okeechobee

This will be the first time retail sports betting has been available at Hard Rock Casinos. Bettors who wagered on the Hard Rock Sportsbook back in 2021 when it was live in Florida will be familiar with how the operation works. The retail sportsbook will run the same.

“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.”

Online Sportsbooks Still In Flux

While this is good news for residents interested in sports betting, this does not reflect the potential results of the online sports betting drama in Florida. The U.S. Supreme Court may still take up West Flagler’s challenge to the compact. And even if that fails, West Flagler is likely to bring the case to the Florida Supreme Court.

According to a report from Fox Sports’ Andy Slater, the Hard Rock Sports app could launch within the next few weeks, before the launch of retail.