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.
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."
According to a company statement, the WJAL has attracted notable figures as investors ahead of its 2025 season. Among them are retired NFL linebacker Ray Lewis, NBA player and current Miami Heat VP of Basketball Development Udonis Haslem, and Grammy Award-winning musician Armando Christian Pérez, better known in the music community as "Pitbull."
A Difficult Road 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 that governs sports betting in the state was resolved last October, and this opened 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.
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 in a special session.
In November 2021, a federal judge temporarily blocked the compact. However, it was reinstated in 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 of last year, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, effectively affirming the compact and allowing it to remain operational until 2051.
