Florida: Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock Bet mobile sports betting platform opens state-wide to all customers

The Hard Rock Bet mobile wagering platform by the Seminole Tribe officially opened its doors to all customers in Florida on Tuesday, preceding the initially anticipated full launch on Thursday.

Despite being accessible to a limited group of Florida sports betting customers since November 7, the mobile betting app became widely available on Tuesday morning, various media reports said.

Meanwhile, an official retail launch, scheduled for Thursday, will span across three brick-and-mortar locations, with the Hollywood location near Fort Lauderdale being one of them. Celebrities including Jon Bon Jovi and Mike Tyson are expected to grace the casino locations on Thursday, specifically at the Hollywood casino's sportsbook.

Florida customers can explore the mobile wagering platform this week, coinciding with a significant lineup of games for the state's NFL teams. The user-friendly app offers a variety of sports and upcoming games, allowing users to select the number of bets and the respective amounts.

Exclusive rights to sports betting in the state are held by the Seminole Tribe, and the app is currently accessible not only in Florida but also in Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and New Jersey.

This development in sports betting in Florida also coincides with the recent announcement of craps and roulette, also launching in the tribe's three South Florida casinos on December 7.

Despite the platform's successful soft launch on November 7, ongoing legal battles pose potential challenges to its long-term operation. Parimutuel operator West Flagler and Associates has filed a lawsuit in the Florida Supreme Court against Governor Ron DeSantis and the legislature, aiming to challenge the legality of the sports wagering monopoly established by the 2021 Seminole-Florida compact.

Additionally, West Flagler plans to take the case against the U.S. Department of the Interior, which approved the 2021 compact, to the U.S. Supreme Court in February 2024. The legal dispute seeks to have the sports wagering monopoly declared illegal.