The first dice were rolled, wheels spun and wagers placed as craps, roulette and in-person sports betting officially launched in Florida on Thursday.
The day began with an elaborate ceremony at the Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood featuring drumming, feathered dancers and cockatoos, and ended with the inaugural sports bet at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, where Mike Tyson, Rick Ross and other celebrities announced their picks.
Tyson bet on the Dolphins, saying, theyre going to win because I said so.
But for the Seminoles, Thursday was also a serious affair. It marked a turning point amid ongoing legal battles and another example of the tribes continued prosperity despite the obstacles thrown in its path.
Theres been a lot of Seminole Wars, said Chris Osceola, a tribal councilman who represents Hollywood, in a speech in one of Classic Casinos slot machine-filled rooms Thursday morning. And to me this is no different.
He was referring to the lawsuits that have sought to stop the gaming compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe since the agreement was signed in 2021. The agreement gave the tribe the authority to launch mobile and in-person sports betting, as well as craps and roulette, at all of its casinos.
After the agreement was signed, Osceola recalled leaving Tallahassee hooting and cheering over what was to come. Then the lawsuits arrived, forcing the tribe to a halt.
Finally, last month, both the U.S. Supreme Court and Florida Supreme Court ruled against suspending the compact while two cases continue, opening a tentative door for Thursdays launch. The Florida case could see a conclusion as soon as this month, but that didnt seem to deter anyone.
Once again, the tribe has prevailed, Hard Rock Chairman Jim Allen told the South Florida Sun Sentinel ahead of the ceremony Thursday. And we mean that with a very humble mindset.
Critics of the compact, including the betting companies challenging it in court, have argued that it gives the already powerful tribe an unfair monopoly on sports betting. The tribe and its executives, including Allen, have given millions of dollars to Gov. DeSantis, including tens of thousands towards his presidential campaign.
But on Thursday, tribe officials described their success as championing over adversity.
Were going to create dreams for our great grandchildren of tomorrow, to live a better life than we live, said Seminole Tribe Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. in his speech. Thats a dream for each and every one of us in this world, is to have better for our children than what we had.
Local gamblers who also had waited for this day to arrive joined celebrities and members of the tribe at the Classic Casino about 10 a.m., then had to wait again for the ceremony to conclude before they could crowd around the new craps and roulette tables. Some said they had already begun sports betting on the new app; others were waiting for it to arrive in person.
Its been a long time coming, said Eric Sonnabend as he threw $400 on the newly inaugurated craps table Thursday, the first real game of the day.
Moments prior, Osceola Jr. had taken the first dice out of a white satin box at that table and rolled an eleven.
Sonnabend was waiting for craps to start in Florida so he didnt have to travel to Vegas to play, something he does often. As others joined him at the table, he became a sort of impromptu teacher, explaining the rules.
The convenience and lack of a need to leave Florida was a common theme among officials and attendees, including Miami Marlins coach Jon Jay, who echoed Sonnabends sentiments.
I dont have to go to Vegas anymore, he said.
The date of Thursdays launch was fitting, Osceola Jr. said. Nearly 44 years ago to the date, the tribes bingo hall opened where the Seminole Classic is today in December 1979 after the Broward Sheriffs Office threatened to shut it down, he said. The tribe had filed a lawsuit challenging the sheriffs authority and won.
For the Seminoles, guarding the monopoly on its most important income source might seem like a necessity as some Indian reservations have struggled to compete with major betting companies in other states.
Wed like to recycle the money here in the state of Florida with our people, Osceola said towards the end of his speech. Keep it here, not let it leave.
Other speakers included Holly Tiger, the vice-chairwoman of the tribal council and president of its board of directors, Mariann Billie, the councilwoman representing Big Cypress, and Larry Howard, the councilman representing Brighton.
Officials are optimistic that neither court case will force the tribe to reverse Thursdays launch, which involved hiring hundreds of new employees, rolling in dozens of roulette and craps tables and installing sports betting kiosks throughout all Seminole casinos.
We certainly believe in the legal theory that weve worked out prior to signing the compact, Allen said. We didnt just sign this on a whim; we did a lot of research.
The case before the Florida Supreme Court centers around mobile sports betting, he added, and even if the court decided against the tribe, he believes about 80 percent of the scope would remain, including all the new tables and dealers.
Thursdays crowds didnt only include gambling aficionados. Bill Condoulis moved to Hollywood from Brooklyn two years ago, so the casinos are in his neighborhood. He used to gamble in Atlantic City, though he doesnt consider himself a gambler, he said. He goes once a month because its nearby and allows himself to bet $500.
Similar launch ceremonies took place Thursday at the Coconut Creek casino about 1 p.m. and the Hard Rock in Hollywood about 4:30 p.m., concluding with the ceremonial sports bets, where select celebrities and tribe officials clutched golden tickets that read first bet.
Osceola Jr. bet on the Florida State Seminoles; Brooks Nader, a Sports Illustrated cover model, went with the Marlins for the World Series in 2024, and Ross went with the Miami Heat. By 6 p.m., the sports betting kiosks had fully opened to the public.
As players waited impatiently, dealers adjusted to the real-life game for the first time. Rebeca Ynde, who lives in Tamarac, became a dealer only a year ago. She handled the ceremonial roulette spin in the Classic Casino, also her first live game, doling thousands out to tribe officials as the crowd watched. Afterwards, she said she was a good nervous.
Later in the day at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, a newly-minted craps dealer spoke casually with Gloria and Emilio Estefan, asking them if theyd stick around to play later, though they had to leave for the red carpet.
Other employees at the Thursdays ceremonies had been around for decades.
Sharon Carrero, 65, received a special shout-out in the morning for spending close to 44 years as an employee at the Classic Casino, beginning as a bingo clerk when it was just a bingo hall in the 1980s.
Carrero saw the Classic Casino go through all of its evolutions, but in some ways, Thursday was the last frontier, she said. Its come full circle.
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'A long time coming': Sports betting, craps and roulette debut in Florida, bringing gamblers, celebrities to Seminole ... - South Florida Sun Sentinel
