Sports betting and other games will hit Florida beginning in December at Seminole casinos, the Seminole Tribe of Florida announced Wednesday following a recent legal victory, which doubles as a delayed win for the DeSantis administration.
A multibillion-dollar gambling deal between Florida and the state’s Seminole Tribe has been held up in court for over two years, but last week, the Supreme Court opened the door for it to resume over two years after the Florida legislature approved the gambling deal, which “permitted sports betting and also authorized the Tribe to add craps and roulette to its current casinos and build additional casinos on the Tribe’s Hollywood reservation that is already home to Hard Rock Hotel & Casino,” as Politico detailed.
The Guitar Hotel at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is illuminated at night in Hollywood, Florida. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
“The denial of the stay by the U.S. Supreme Court is very good news,” Gary Bitner, a spokesperson for the Tribe, said at the time of the ruling. “The Seminole Tribe of Florida is heartened by this decision.”
Following the denial of the stay, all eyes went to the Seminole Tribe, which announced on Wednesday that it is resuming in-person sports betting as well as its expansion, including craps and roulette. However, it remains unclear when it will relaunch the statewide mobile app.
“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,” Marcellus Osceola Jr., Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida said in a statement.
“By working together, the Tribe, the State and the federal government achieved a historic legal victory,” Osceola added.
According to reports, participants will be able to place bets on sporting events — as well as play craps and roulette — beginning December 7 at three Seminole casinos — Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. Other locations will follow, with additional details forthcoming.
“The Seminole Tribe of Florida’s new initiative will create jobs, increase tourism, and provide billions in added revenue for our state,” DeSantis said in a statement, adding that he was “proud to work with the Tribe on our historic Gaming Compact and I look forward to its full implementation.”