The Seminole Tribe of Florida and West Flagler Associates have reached an agreement to promote jai alai betting on the Seminole’s Hard Rock Bet app. The partnership, announced on Monday, comes four months after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a lower court ruling to stand, clearing the way for Florida digital sports betting statewide.
As part of the deal, West Flagler has committed to halting all future legal challenges against the Seminole Tribe’s gaming operations. West Flagler, which owns two Florida pari-mutuels, had previously spent three years in state and federal courts challenging the 2021 compact that granted the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to online sports betting in Florida.
Under the 2021 compact, any sports bet made within Florida and processed through servers located on Seminole lands is legally considered to have been placed on tribal land, enabling statewide digital wagering through the tribe’s infrastructure.
However, any commercial entity interested in entering Florida’s online sports betting market must partner with the Seminoles, pay 60% of gross gaming revenue to the tribe, and operate on the Seminole’s server network. The new agreement with West Flagler is the first of its kind under these terms.
Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming, described the partnership as a “win-win” arrangement. “Rather than engaging in years of additional litigation, this agreement will allow the parties to work together to promote jai alai, which has played an important role in Florida’s gaming landscape for nearly 100 years,” he said.
Allen also highlighted the collaborative spirit of the agreement as the Seminole Tribe prepares to roll out jai alai betting on Hard Rock Bet by early 2025. With the litigation now ended, the focus has shifted to launching jai alai on the app, leveraging the heritage of the sport, which has been a staple of Florida gaming since the 1920s.
Isadore Havenick, representing West Flagler, highlighted the partnership’s potential to revitalize jai alai in the digital age. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Seminole Tribe in support of their gaming operations in Florida and to promote jai alai. We are proud that jai alai will be featured on the Hard Rock Bet app,” Havenick said.
The 2021 compact also set significant financial expectations for the Seminole Tribe, requiring it to pay $2.5 billion over five years to the state from revenue generated by sports betting and its six Florida casinos. The agreement with West Flagler allows the Seminoles to continue expanding their digital offerings under favorable terms while aligning interests with regional gaming operators.
The deal may also pave the way for further developments in Florida’s gaming sector. The compact includes a clause that allows the Seminoles to offer any “new game authorized by Florida law,” suggesting that if online casinos are legalized in the state, the Seminole Tribe could expand its digital portfolio even further.
