Hard Rock Bet has launched a new series of online esports games that have been accused of being slots in disguise.
The platform, run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, titles the new releases as “Games powered by Past Motor Racing”.
According to Hard Rock Bet’s FAQ, “Games powered by Past Motor Races” is “a form of sports betting available in Florida where a player wagers on the outcomes of real past motor races as authorized by the 2021 Compact with the State of Florida.”
Slot-Like Games Powered By Sports Results
Players are presented with the pre-race odds for a motor racing event that has already happened. However, all identifying information about the race, location, date, and participants has been stripped.
The player then guesses the finishing order of these anonymized cars. That, rather than a typical iGaming random-number generator, will determine whether the player wins. This is similar to historical horse race betting which has prominence in places such as Kentucky.
However, that outcome is then presented to the player through a graphical interface featuring spinning reels and all the other bells and whistles you’d find in a video slot.
Online casinos are not permitted under the 2021 compact or any other legislation in Florida. If it is ruled that these games fall under the category of games of chance, then Hard Rock Bet may be forced to remove them.
Hard Rock Bet Operating Online Betting In Legal Gray Area
Hard Rock Bet is allowed to offer online sports betting in Florida despite the state not formally approving it. The platform operates through a loophole, claiming the bets are placed on tribal lands because its servers are on tribal land.
This interpretation has faced legal challenges. Courts initially ruled the 2021 compact was unlawful, and the Seminole Tribe shut down Hard Rock Sportsbook shortly after its launch.
In 2023, the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reversed that decision, ruling that the compact permitted betting from anywhere as long as servers remain on tribal lands.
Legal Challenges Remain For Tribal Online Sports Betting
This same argument was rejected last week by a judge in Colorado, who ruled that the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute must follow state regulations for bets placed online as they do not occur on tribal lands and are therefore not governed by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
There remain challenges in Florida as well. In April, a group named Protect The Constitution, filed a lawsuit claiming that online sports betting needs voter approval to continue.
The tribe, however, has powerful supporters. In June, Florida’s Attorney General filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on the 2021 compact that guaranteed the state $2.5 billion over five years. In addition, the terms of the compact state that the tribe will pay the state 13.75% of net win from sports betting.