Hard Rock Bet has exclusive rights to offer online sports betting in the Sunshine State and is using that privilege in some new and interesting ways.
- Hard Rock Bet has launched new “Games powered by Past Motor Races” in Florida, letting users wager on outcomes of real past races in a slot-like fashion.
- The games are permitted as sports betting under the Seminole Tribe’s 2021 compact with the state, which grants the tribe exclusive rights to online sports wagering in Florida.
- This innovation could help Hard Rock Bet expand its appeal in Florida’s gambling market, which gives the operator significant heft.
One new product that the Seminole Tribe-owned online sportsbook began rolling out this week in Florida is "Games powered by Past Motor Races."
Online casino gambling is not authorized in Florida. So, while these new games may have a slot-like appearance to them, they are, as the Hard Rock FAQ explains, a "form of sports betting ... where a player wagers on the outcomes of real past motor races."
The games are also authorized by the 2021 gambling agreement between the Seminole and the state, which granted the tribe exclusivity over online sports betting in Florida.
One for the history books
Indeed, that compact - the federal approval of which was tested and upheld in court - defines sports betting as "wagering on any past or future professional sport or athletic event."
It’s similar to “historical horse racing,” another slot-like product that relies on old races to determine results. However, the new Hard Rock games in Florida don't involve pari-mutuel wagering and are played instead against the house.
"The outcomes of those wagers are shown to the player using entertaining video depictions," Hard Rock Bet adds. "For each wager, a player selects the finishing order of the drivers in each of the three past motor races."
According to a source, the new games have a $1 minimum wager, the same amount as Hard Rock Bet’s other sports betting markets in Florida.
Per the Hard Rock App, here's the definition of "Games Powered by Past Motor Races" now available to some Florida users; these games are similar to Historic Horse Racing offerings, which are also similar to slot machines pic.twitter.com/OnsLJsySYZ
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) October 30, 2025
The addition of the new games to Hard Rock Bet in Florida could help the operator further tap into the Sunshine State's significant population of gamblers.
Having Florida to itself also gives Hard Rock Bet a solid foundation for online gambling in the U.S. overall.
Investment bank Citizens recently reported that the brand's share of mobile app downloads is 8% this NFL season among operators with 99% of the U.S. sports betting market. That puts Hard Rock on the same level as BetMGM and Fanatics and above other rivals such as Caesars and ESPN BET, none of which can access the Florida market.
Hard Rock Bet (sans its new, Florida-only games) is also available in Colorado, Illinois, Arizona, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia.
