Florida’s Seminole Tribe won’t wait for a pair of lawsuits that question validity of its 2021 compact with the state to be resolved, as it announced Wednesday morning it will go live next month with sports betting, craps, and roulette at its brick-and-mortar casinos.
The tribe sent out a press release detailing a staggered start during what it’s calling “A New Era in Florida Gaming.” The tribe will debut the new games first on Dec. 7 at its South Florida locations at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. It will then roll out the new games in Tampa Dec. 8 and at its Immokalee (Naples) and Brighton (near Lake Okeechobee) locations Dec. 11.
The tribe did not address when it has plans to launch its Hard Rock Bet digital platform.
Legal action over the tribe’s compact with Florida will likely still be in play in one federal and one state court when the Seminoles expand their gambling options. While the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 25 denied a request that would force the tribe to stay offline, plaintiff West Flagler and Associates has plans to file with the court by Nov. 20 to request it hear the case. A parallel case in the Florida Supreme Court has a Dec. 1 deadline for Gov. Ron DeSantis to respond.