Hard Rock opens door to DraftKings or FanDuel Florida partnership
Chair Jim Allen points to “marquee value” of leading US operators as he hints at commercial partnerships in the Sunshine State
Hard Rock International chair and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen has seemingly opened the door for a partnership with commercial operators in Florida, citing DraftKings and FanDuel as key players.
Speaking to CNBC correspondent Contessa Brewer at the G2E conference in Las Vegas, Allen suggested a willingness to collaborate with the US market leaders in the Sunshine State.
Hard Rock holds a monopoly in Florida via the Seminole’s gaming compact, giving it sole access to the US’ third most populus state.
The monopoly had faced challenges from local parimutuel operators and went as far as the US Supreme Court, before Hard Rock was cemented as the single operator in the state.
Hard Rock’s enviable position in Florida has seen analysts and industry figures suggest the monopoly has provided the operator with a springboard to attack the rest of the US.
New York, the US’ fourth most populated state, is the largest sports betting state in the country despite a 51% tax rate applied to operators.
Allen would not be drawn by Brewer on the financial performance of sports betting in the Sunshine State, pointing to the sovereignty of the Seminole Tribe.
Despite Hard Rock’s vice grip on Florida, Allen indicated that conversations had been held with DraftKings and FanDuel and that a potential partnership was not out of the question.
Allen said: “Whether it’s FanDuel or whether it’s DraftKings, we’ve actually developed a great relationship with them. Frankly, we’ve had meetings with them [at G2E].
“We do recognise that long term some type of strategic relationship with some of the brands that really have marquee value could be really helpful to both of us.
“We are receptive to those conversations,” he added.
As part of Flutter’s mammoth Investor Day presentation last month, the FanDuel parent company included a slide that noted a “focus on the big three [states]” in the shape of Florida, California and Texas.
Also speaking at G2E, California Nations Indian Gaming Association chair James Siva said a tribal legal sports betting initiative in California could come as early as 2026, but was more likely to arrive in 2028.
Sports betting in California was heavily rejected by voters in 2022 after FanDuel and DraftKings pledged millions of dollars in funding to fight the cause.