TAMPA, Fla. — The Hard Rock Bet mobile sportsbook relaunched in a limited fashion Tuesday morning in Florida in the wake of last week's announcement that placing wagers on your favorite teams is back — legally.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida opened the app for "early access" to members of its Unity by Hard Rock loyalty program. People who signed up for the program prior to Nov. 6 can place bets right away.
For those who aren't members and haven't previously bet with Hard Rock, they're asked to enroll in the program, visit the nearest Hard Rock or Seminole Casino in Florida and get at least one "Unity point" by playing a casino game. Doing so will allow access to the app.
In a post on X, Hard Rock Bet outlined the steps to get signed up — and how to get a so-called "no regret first bet" of up to $100.
The Seminole Tribe recently said it's moving forward to expand casino games based on the 2021 gaming compact signed and approved by the tribe and Florida state leaders. It can legally move forward with these expansions, including sports betting, due to the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting to block the compact from taking effect.
The public will be able to start playing craps and roulette and place bets on sporting events starting on Dec. 7 at three Seminole casinos in South Florida. After this, the new games will launch on Dec. 8 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
Although mobile sports betting wasn't part of the initial announcement, it was anticipated it would launch imminently.
The app originally became public in November 2021 before being forced to shut down operations the following month after the tribe was dealt a legal blow to its compact.