On-line sports activities betting has returned to Florida earlier than anticipated. The Seminole Tribe this week quietly relaunched its Onerous Rock Bets cell platform within the Sunshine State. It arrives a month earlier than in-person betting is about to start at Tribal casinos across the state.
A sports activities bettor downloads the Onerous Rock Sportsbook app following Florida’s April 2021 settlement to permit the Seminole Tribe to function on-line sports activities betting. The Tribe quietly relaunched the app this week for the primary time in two years. (Picture: WFTV)
Entry to the net sportsbook is restricted to present clients who signed up for an account when Onerous Rock Bets first launched two years in the past. Additionally allowed are on line casino patrons who take part within the “Unity by Onerous Rock” loyalty program.
The platform was on-line for just a few weeks in 2021, and anybody who signed up then can place bets now. Wagering can also be out there for anybody who was within the on line casino loyalty program earlier than Monday, November 6.
New clients can sign up for a waitlist. However it’s unclear once they can start putting bets.
Courtroom Problem Continues
The cell launch comes amid ongoing litigation by opponents of the Seminole Tribe’s monopoly on sports activities betting, led by pari-mutuel operator West Flagler Associates. It signifies the Tribe’s optimism that the gaming compact it signed with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will finally survive.
After dropping an enchantment in federal courtroom this fall, West Flagler filed a brand new problem within the state supreme courtroom alleging that the gaming compact violates the Florida structure. The briefing continues in that case, with a reply due from DeSantis subsequent month. It’s unclear how lengthy that case will take to resolve.
On the coronary heart of West Flagler’s argument is that the Tribe can not settle for sports activities bets positioned off of its reservation with out violating the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, in addition to state gaming legal guidelines. Supporters of the compact say that the cell sportsbook is authorized as a result of it’s being run by pc servers situated on Tribal land.
A key turning level within the federal case got here final month, when the U.S. Supreme Courtroom let the gaming compact take impact. However opponents can nonetheless enchantment that call.
The federal case was narrowly targeted on the position of the Inside Division, which oversees tribal gaming. Inside mentioned its authorization prolonged solely as far as gaming that occurred on Tribal lands themselves, and that any off-reservation gaming can be topic to state authority.
In-Individual Betting Set for Subsequent Month
The launch of the Onerous Rock Bets platform means present cell clients get to put wagers a month earlier than sports activities betting is on the market to everybody on the six brick-and-mortar casinos the Tribe operates in Florida.
Sports activities bets will be capable to be positioned in particular person starting December 7 at three Seminole casinos in South Florida, and can proceed to be rolled out at different places over subsequent days.
