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The Florida sports betting market may be about to get a lot more interesting, with Hard Rock’s president opening the door to partnerships with commercial sportsbooks.
Hard Rock holds a monopoly on sports betting in the state, winning the exclusive tribal gaming contract after a hard-fought battle against Beatowned by FanDuel, DraftKings And Penn Entertainment. Sportsbooks made a massive effort in 2021 to legalize sports betting in the state, but failed.
Asked about comments made by FanDuel CEO Amy Howe about its new attempt to enter the Florida market, Jim Allen, president of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming, said he was open to it.
“I would say whether it’s FanDuel or DraftKings, we’ve developed a great relationship with them,” he said in an interview with CNBC at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.
Allen says he has met with both companies over the past two days.
“We recognize that over the long term, some type of strategic relationship with some of the brands that really have marquee value could be helpful for both of us, and we’re receptive to those conversations,” he said.
At Flutter’s investor day two weeks ago, Howe said it was focusing on three key super states: California, Florida and New York.
FanDuel and DraftKings declined to comment on the possibility of a deal with Hard Rock.
Operators have been eyeing the Sunshine State for years. Florida is more populated than New York state, which generates the most sports betting revenue, according to the American Gaming Association. And it has more than 20 Division 1 professional and college sports teams in the state.
Last December at Seminole Hard Rock, the company marked what it called “a new chapter in Florida gaming,” launching sports betting and expanding casino table games at six Seminole casinos in Florida .
Allen declined to provide details about sports gaming revenue in Florida, on the grounds that the tribe is a sovereign nation.