The sports betting industry has returned to the state of Florida, as the Seminole Tribe surprised everyone earlier this week. Without any fanfare at all, the Seminole Tribe decided to launch the Hard Rock Bet app on a limited basis.
This tribe previously announced that sports betting was coming back to Florida in retail form, but there wasn’t a mention of the Hard Rock Bet app becoming available. This is actually the first time that this specific app has been available in Florida as it was the Hard Rock Sportsbook app that was first launched.
Online sports betting was only available in the state of Florida for a limited amount of time back in November 2021 as the Seminole Tribe was forced to shut it down. The hope is that the Hard Rock Bet app is here to stay, but the courts are likely going to decide it’s fate.
This new Hard Rock Bet app is now available in eight different states, but the Seminole Tribe is leaving the state of Iowa at the end of this month. It has drawn rave reviews since it was first launched, but not all bettors in Florida are currently able to use it.
Only those customers that had previously signed up for an account were given the chance to make some wagers this week. New customers can sign up for an account to be placed on a wait list, and it’s unclear when they will be given the chance to make a bet.
Industry experts were stunned by this move, just like the bettors in the state of Florida were. It became clear that the Seminole Tribe was tired of waiting around, and it wanted to make some money during the NFL season.
Retail Wagering Coming
Retail sports betting is going to return in the state of Florida on December 7th, and it’s a shock that online wagering has come back first. Launching retail wagering first would not have caused a major uproar in the state as many know that it is coming.
The Seminole Tribe has a monopoly over all forms of gambling in the state, and the announcement about the return of gambling was included in a much bigger announcement. There will be new forms of gambling offered at the casinos in the state of Florida, and a retail sportsbook will be set up as well.
Parimutuels File to Shut App Down
It was only a matter of time before a motion was filed to shut down the Hard Rock Bet app, and in this case it happened within two days. Parimutuels in the state of Florida are upset that they are completely left out of the sports betting scene, and they don’t want to see the Seminole Tribe making any money.
It’s West Flagler & Associates that have once again filed the motion to kill the Hard Rock Bet app, and this group has been battling with the Seminole Tribe since 2021. The courts continue to side with the Seminole Tribe, but a final ruling has yet to be made.
