Hard Rock Bet launched its sportsbook in Colorado under a market access agreement with Johnny Nolon’s Casino, the company said. The source described Colorado as its ninth active US market and said the state then had 13 online sportsbooks.
Hard Rock Bet’s launch adds an operator to Colorado’s online sportsbook market under a casino market access agreement.
The day’s most important stories, free. One email a day.
Florida state senator Clay Yarborough filed SB 1164, a bill proposing changes to gambling rules and enforcement across the state. The measure would introduce criminal penalties for activities including illegal online gambling, game-fixing and advertising illegal gambling, and would take effect in October if enacted.
US District Judge Gordon Gallagher dismissed a lawsuit by the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes challenging Colorado’s regulation of online sports betting. The 23 October ruling found that wagers occur where the bettor is located, so the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act does not cover wagers placed off tribal land. Colorado’s governor’s office welcomed the decision, while the tribes had argued their gaming compacts authorised statewide online betting.
A bipartisan group of Wisconsin lawmakers introduced a bill proposing online sports betting through servers located on tribal land. The measure would amend state-tribal gaming pacts, and any new compacts would need approval from the US Department of the Interior.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission issued cease-and-desist letters to BetUS, Bovada and MyBookie, alleging they offered unauthorised sports betting and casino gaming to people in Florida. The commission said the platforms’ wagers were unlicensed and prohibited under state law. It identified Hard Rock Bet as the only online sportsbook legally operating in Florida.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida, West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. agreed to end litigation over the tribe’s gaming operations and partner to offer Jai Alai wagering on the Hard Rock Bet app, the tribe announced. The agreement follows court actions that left the tribe’s online sports betting exclusivity in place; the companies had challenged the 2021 compact.