The Seminole Tribe of Florida has made peace with its longtime legal adversary West Flagler Parties, announcing a partnership to offer and promote Jai Alai betting on the Hard Rock Bet app. The Seminoles’ compact with the state gives Hard Rock a monopoly on Florida online gambling, which West Flagler had challenged in federal court.
Having seen its appeal dismissed by the Supreme Court, West Flagler has compromised by joining forces with Hard Rock through its affiliate Battle Court Jai Alai, LLC. To secure the deal, West Flagler has committed not to pursue any further legal action against the tribe’s sports betting compact.
West Flagler consists of West Flagler Associates, Ltd., Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation, Southwest Florida Enterprises, Inc., and Isadore Havenick. Over the last few years, the group has legally challenged the sports betting monopoly of the Seminole’s Hard Rock Bet app in Florida. However, in June, the US Supreme Court rejected to hear an appeal by West Flagler, effectively ending the dispute.
No more challenges to Florida online betting
In April 2021, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a compact with the Seminoles, giving them a 30-year monopoly on sports betting. State lawmakers approved the compact in May, and the US Department of the Interior permitted it in August.
The Florida model set an important precedent for the potential for tribal online gambling in other states. It relies on the idea that an online bet takes place wherever the receiving computer servers are. That means that a tribe can offer gambling statewide as long as the servers are on its land. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has embraced that notion, but it remains controversial and was at the heart of West Flagler’s challenge.
Hard Rock Bet operated briefly in late 2021 but quickly shut down as West Flagler challenged the compact. The plaintiffs claimed it violated Florida’s constitutional requirement for voter approval and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
In late 2021, a federal judge sided with the plaintiffs. However, the Seminole Tribe appealed, and the DC Court of Appeals overturned the lower court’s decision. That allowed Hard Rock Bet to launch again.
In response, West Flagler asked for a rehearing en banc but was denied. The plaintiffs didn’t give up and filed a “motion to stay mandate.” However, the US Supreme Court denied the motion.
While the Seminoles announced Hard Rock Bet would relaunch physically in November 2023 and mobile in December 2023, West Flagler filed a petition for quo warranto with the Florida Supreme Court. The petition sought a declaration that the governor exceeded his authority.
In March 2024, Florida’s highest court dismissed the quo warranto petition. West Flagler filed a supplemental brief with the US Supreme Court, which was also denied in June, thus ending the legal battle.
From enemies to allies
Hard Rock Bet is expected to offer Jai Alai betting at the beginning of 2025. With the new agreement, the parties put behind their disagreements to provide wagering on a unique sport associated with Florida. Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming, expressed his delight about the partnership in a press release.
“This is truly a win-win agreement for the Seminole Tribe and West Flagler. This agreement establishes a relationship of collaboration among the Seminole Tribe and West Flagler in the State of Florida. Rather than engaging in years of additional litigation, this agreement will allow the parties to work together to promote Jai Alai, which has played an important role in Florida’s gaming landscape for nearly 100 years.”
Isadore Havenick shared Allen’s excitement about allowing Floridians to wager on a local sport that has been part of the state’s gaming industry for a century.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Seminole Tribe in support of their gaming operations in Florida and to promote Jai Alai, which has been a critical component of Florida’s gaming industry since the 1920s. We are proud that Jai Alai will be featured on the Hard Rock Bet app and we look forward to developing a strong partnership with the Seminole Tribe.”
Havenick’s family owns West Flagler Associates and has a long history with gambling in the state, dating back to the 1950s.
Jai Alai’s importance to Florida betting
Jai Alai is a fast-paced ball game played on a three-walled court. Players use a cesta, a curved wicker scoop strapped to one arm, to catch and throw a small, hard ball.
The game originated in the Basque country in Northern Spain, where it’s called Pelota Vasca. It made its way to Cuba around 1900 and then to Florida in the 1920s. The name Jai Alai means “merry festival” in the Basque language. It’s often promoted as “the fastest sport in the world,” as the ball can reach speeds up to 188 mph.
In Florida, Jai Alai’s popularity surged after the state authorized parimutuel betting on it in 1935. While it attracted crowds of up to 15,000 in the 1970s, nowadays, it averages around 50 live spectators and a few hundred views on YouTube.
However, social media like TikTok are helping it gain new fans. The World Jai-Alai League’s TikTok Channel has over 380,000 followers, with some clips gaining over 10 million views.
