Seminole Chairmen Marcellus Osceola, Jr., throws out the ceremonial first roll, as Jimmy Johnson enthusiastically looks on. (Image: Amanda Inscore / USA Today Network)

Florida Seminole Chairman Marcellus Osceola, Jr., gave the bones their first roll at one of the two newly opened craps tables at Seminole Immokalee Casino on Monday. Legendary football coach and broadcaster Jimmy Johnson stood by his side, crouched in excitement.

“Yo, 11!” the croupier called out. It was a winner for the table … if not a winner for the entire state of Florida. 

Amid whoops and smiles, Johnson thrust his arms in the air and hugged Osceola, a man who was instrumental in bringing legal craps, roulette and sports betting to their state.

Nearby, two Vegas-style showgirls in sparkling white plumage flanked by Rat Pack impersonators left no doubt about the vibe the Hard Rock was going for.  

“We’re very excited about this. You no longer have to fly all the way to Las Vegas,” declared the emcee, a local sports radio host. “You can do everything right here.”

Over the past week, after five years of legislative and judicial struggle, six Seminole casinos across Florida rolled out craps, roulette and sports betting, kicking off a new era for casino gaming in the state. 

"We now offer a full complement of casino games and join the ranks of leading casinos around the world," Osceola said.

Seminole Celebrity Showdown

Launch parties for the inaugural dice rolls, wheel spins and sports wagers were star-studded, red-carpet affairs.

On Friday at the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, pro golfer John Daly, baseball hall-of-famer Wade Boggs, NFL quarterback Doug Flutie and semi-retired pro wrestlers Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan were all there, ready to celebrate and gamble. 

Across the peninsula, the celebrity set at the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood (the one shaped like a big guitar) included Jon Bon Jovi, Bruno Mars, Tiësto, Heather Graham, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Diplo, Cedric Gervais, Mike Tyson, Dwyane Wade, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, Sarah Hyland, Willy Chirino, Max Weinberg, Bobbi Althoff, and SI Swimsuit Cover Model Brooks Nader.

John Daly placing his first sports bet at the Seminole Hard Rock casino in Tampa. (Image: ZUMA Press / Alamy)

And then on Monday, at the Seminole Immokalee Casino, hometown hero and NFL Hall of Famer Edgerrin James helped christen the new sportsbook, along with MMA legend (and local restaurant owner) Tito Ortiz. And Jimmy Johnson couldn’t wait to throw some dice. 

Ongoing Fights Over Sports Betting

The addition of craps, roulette and sports betting to Florida casinos came as a result of a new compact between the Seminoles and the state, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in August 2021. 

It also required a lot of back and forth in the courts for that compact to fully take effect.

The new agreement is set to last for 30 years, and gives the Seminoles exclusivity to run sports betting across the state, for $20 billion over the term of the deal, with $500 million/year guaranteed for the first five years. 

Hulk Hogan walking the red carpet and letting people know religion doesn't have to get in the way of gambling. (Image: ZUMA Press / Alamy)

But in September 2021, two pari-mutuel groups, companies representing the Bonita Springs Poker Room and Magic City Casino in Miami, sued the state of Florida and the US Department of the Interior, which has to approve all tribal gaming pacts. They claimed the sports betting component of the compact gave the Seminoles an unfair monopoly, and violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, because a planned mobile sports betting app allowed gambling on non-tribal lands.

A federal judge agreed, and thus just 34 days after going live, the Hard Rock SportsBook mobile app had to stop taking bets in November 2021.

But this past summer, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, overturned the district court’s decision and reinstated the compact. 

The pari-mutuel groups asked the US Supreme Court to step in, but in October, they refused, thereby affirming the $2.5 billion deal as legit.

There was a distinct Vegas vibe at the launch party for roulette and craps at the Seminole Casino Immokalee. (Image: Amanda Inscore / USA Today Network)

However, the SCOTUS decision was based on jurisdiction, and acknowledged there still were substantive issues over the legality of the compact to be adjudicated. 

The pari-mutuel groups also filed an emergency petition to the Florida Supreme Court, asking them to block the relaunch of the sports-betting app claiming the compact didn’t meet state constitutional muster. But in November, the state's high court dismissed the case without explanation. 

The plaintiffs still have  a case pending with the US Supreme Court, so this battle isn't over. On Monday, Chief Justice John Roberts granted an extension for them to make their claim for why the Seminole's monopoly on sports betting accessible to bettors anywhere in the state violates the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Roberts set a deadline of Feb. 8 for the groups to submit their paperwork so SCOTUS can decide whether or not they'll hear the case.  

If they do, the implications could be huge -- not just in Florida but around the country as the court would be assessing the legality of online betting determined by the location of a server instead of the individual placing the bet. 

Until then, the Seminoles in Florida and the the gamblers they serve will continue to roll the dice.