So maybe that’s the Seminoles’ thinking.” “This is just a completely different approach.”īut, he said, “There is a theory that … you are better off being up and running because it is harder for a court to stop a business that is up and running because, of course, it impacts both workers and customers. “It was my assumption all along that the Seminoles were being very patient and that they would not want to do anything that would jeopardize their chances in either the federal courts or the state courts,” Jarvis said. But the decision to launch it amid the legal battle could indicate a new strategy, he said. Jarvis said he expected one or more of the plaintiffs to ask the state Supreme Court for a stay that would again force the tribe to shut down the app. The suits led to a pause in online wagering after the Hard Rock app had been active for just 34 days in 2021. The move was an unexpected one, said Bob Jarvis, a law professor and gambling expert at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, especially after the tribe revealed last week that gamblers will be able to place sports bets in person at their six casinos starting in December, as well as for craps and roulette, without mentioning online wagering.Ī separate lawsuit before the state Supreme Court focuses on an amendment to the Florida Constitution that requires voters to approve any expansion of gambling in the state. In a statement, Seminole spokesman Gary Bitner said the tribe was “offering limited access to existing Florida customers to test its Hard Rock Bet platform.” A page on the app offers potential “early access” to those who placed a sports bet with Hard Rock in 2021 or were members of its Unity loyalty program, and some accounts dating to that period were able to be activated.Īn attempt to create a new account on the Hard Rock Bet app resulted in a page stating, “We couldn’t verify your identity,” adding that customer support staff would follow up within 24 to 48 hours. In a surprise move, the Seminole Tribe relaunched a limited version of its Florida online sports betting app Tuesday despite two ongoing court cases attempting to thwart its online wagering monopoly.

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