Hard Rock Florida Fantasy Sports Opinion Unchanged
Hard Rock CEO Still Believes Pick'Em Games Are Prop Bets
The State of Florida made good on its promise to eliminate fantasy pick’em games in the state. That was good news for Hard Rock CEO Jim Allen, who had no hesitation to say pick’em games were against the law in Florida. That’s due to the Seminole Tribe having exclusive rights to sports betting in the Sunshine State.
Allen has long-stated the Hard Rock Florida fantasy sports opinion is traditional fantasy sports is fine. The pick’em games are not.
“The compact allows for the existing scope of fantasy to not be an exclusion or a default,” he said last month. “So if DraftKings and FanDuel continue to do what they’re doing, we’re fine with that. So that’s category one. We have no issue with that whatsoever. But certainly, what Betr and Underdog and others like them are doing is flat-out illegal. There is no way around it.” Hard Rock CEO Jim Allen
The State of Florida stands to make billions of dollars from the Seminole Tribe as a result of their compact. So when Allen had a concern, the state listened and took action. It sent cease-and-desist letters to the pick-em game operators warning of possible criminal charges if they continued.
That did the trick, and Allen said it was the correct call on the part of the state. Allen did want to reiterate the Hard Rock Florida fantasy sports opinion is the Tribe is not opposed to traditional fantasy sports.
What the Tribe does with its Hard Rock Bet App is completely different than what FanDuel and DraftKings do in Florida. FanDuel and DraftKings may take wagers for football betting, but they don’t do so in Florida. That’s all Allen and the Seminoles care about.
Hard Rock Has Good Relation With DraftKings, FanDuel
While they may be considered competitors, Hard Rock has a solid relationship with other sportsbooks, as tends to be the case with most sportsbooks.
They may battle against each other for customers, but there are times when they band together. Helping sports betting initiatives being placed on state ballots is one case and several are working together on responsible gaming. The bet news shows plenty of examples of competing sportsbooks partnering together when it serves their needs.
Allen said he spoke with DraftKings CEO Jason Robins and FanDuel CEO Amy Howe on the Hard Rock Florida fantasy sports situation and let them know he had no issues with what they were doing in Florida. He was opposed to the pick’em games, which are basically a moneyline bet for player prop parlay wagers.
Maintaining a good relationship with the two giants of the U.S. sports betting scene also makes good business sense. While DraftKings and FanDuel both put millions into Florida to try and create an open marketplace, as opposed to seeing the Tribe have complete control, they could eventually work with each other in Florida.
The Tribe has authority to offer “Qualified Pari-mutuel Permitholders” a chance to get into the action. It’s not a stretch that the Seminoles would allow another sportsbook in the state for a piece of the action.
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