Hard Rock Bet finally makes the “world’s fastest ball sport” available to Florida bettors. Hard Rock Bet is bringing back the World Jai-Alai League (WJAL) with the launch of Jai-Alai betting. This will include the 2025 Battle Court Winter season. WJAL fans in Florida can now access live betting options and streaming through the Hard Rock Bet app. The new season, starting this month, will feature Battle Court gamedays broadcast live from the Magic City Fronton in Miami.
WJAL’s New Partnership and Exciting Investors
Hard Rock Bet, Florida’s only legal sportsbook platform, allows players to place wagers on Jai-Alai alongside 19 other sports. In-person betting is also available at Hard Rock retail sportsbooks in Florida. Scott Savin, Chief Operating Officer of the WJAL, said of the new partnership, “The start of a new season is always exhilarating, and the addition of wagering on Hard Rock Bet only adds to the sentiment that Winter 2025 will be our best season yet. We’re excited to bring fans unparalleled action and engagement, both on and off the court.”
The WJAL has attracted notable investors for its 2025 season, including retired NFL linebacker Ray Lewis, NBA player and Miami Heat VP of Basketball Development Udonis Haslem, and Grammy Award-winning musician Armando Christian Pérez, known as “Pitbull.”
Legal Challenges and Resolutions for Jai-Alai Betting
Jai-Alai, considered the “world’s fastest ball sport,” has deep roots in Florida’s sports culture. However, it’s taken a long time for the sport to become available to Florida bettors. A lengthy legal battle between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and West Flagler Associates over the gaming compact was resolved last October, opening the door for Jai-Alai betting. The settlement ended West Flagler’s legal claims against the compact in state and federal courts. In return, the Seminole Tribe agreed to offer sports betting for West Flagler’s Jai-Alai operations through the Hard Rock Bet app.
Origins and Legal Battles
The dispute originated with the 2021 gaming compact between the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida, championed by Governor Ron DeSantis. The compact legalized sports betting across the state and introduced games like craps and roulette at Seminole-operated casinos. While the compact initially included provisions for online casino betting, that aspect was removed before legislative approval іn a special session. In November 2021, a federal judge temporarily blocked the compact, but іt was reinstated іn 2022 following a federal appeals court decision. The legal uncertainty ended this year when the Florida State Supreme Court dismissed a procedural appeal, leaving the compact intact. In June оf last year, the U.S. Supreme Court declined tо hear the case, effectively affirming the compact and allowing іt tо remain operational until 2051.
