Florida’s sports betting market could get even more interesting, with Hard Rock’s chairman opening the door to partnerships with commercial sportsbooks.
Hard Rock has a monopoly on sports betting in the state, after flutterWith FanDuel, Draft king and Penn Entertainment. Sportsbooks made a big push to legalize sports betting in the state in 2021, but it failed.
When asked about FanDuel CEO Amy Howe’s comments about trying again to enter the Florida market, Hard Rock International Chairman and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen ) said he was open to it.
“I would say whether it’s FanDuel or DraftKings, we actually have a good relationship with them,” he told CNBC in an interview at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.
Allen said he has met with both companies over the past two days.
“We do recognize that having some type of strategic relationship with some brands that have real brand value could be helpful to both of us in the long term, and we’re open to those conversations,” he said.
At Flutter’s investor day two weeks ago, Howe said she was focusing on three key superstates: California, Florida and New York.
FanDuel and DraftKings declined to comment on the possibility of reaching a deal with Hard Rock.
Operators have been eyeing the Sunshine State for years. Florida has a larger population than New York state, which generates the most sports betting revenue, according to the American Gaming Association. The state is home to more than 20 professional and Division I college sports teams.
In December, the company launched sports betting at the Seminole Hard Rock and expanded casino table games to six Seminole casinos in Florida, marking “a new chapter in Florida’s gaming industry.” .
Allen declined to reveal specifics about Florida sports betting revenue because the tribe is a sovereign nation.
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