Rush Street Interactive first to offer Jai-Alai through Magic City partnership
Online operator reaches deal with Florida-based casino that operates fast-paced ball and wicker sport
Rush Street Interactive (RSI) on September 20 announced an agreement to become the official sports betting partner of Magic City Jai-Alai.
Jai-Alai, a fast-paced ball and wicker sport played on an indoor walled court, has long been a popular parimutuel gambling sport in Florida.
Miami-based Magic City has run more than 4,000 matches since opening in 2018, with the sport regulated by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
As part of the collaboration with Magic City Jai-Alai, BetRivers – RSI’s primary sportsbook brand – gains exclusive authorized rights to use Magic City Jai-Alai’s official league data and streaming feeds to offer fixed-odds betting for clients to watch games and wager in real time, including in-play betting.
“RSI is excited to partner with Magic City Jai-Alai to pioneer this new fast-paced format of play for Jai-Alai, a sport which has long been a betting favorite and has a storied history in Florida dating back to the 1930s,” said RSI CEO Richard Schwartz.
“As a result of these modern head-to-head matches transitioning away from the traditional parimutuel style of play into a brand new fixed-odds betting format where every action-packed point matters, customers can wager directly on the head-to-head matchups, set-by-set or even point-by-point just like in the popular betting sports of tennis and table tennis.”
Magic City COO Scott Savin added: “Working closely with the RSI team, we are excited to pioneer a new twist on an old favorite and offer fans exciting and different ways to engage with Jai-Alai while modernizing the sport to a whole new digital betting audience.”
Magic City has worked in concert with the DBPR to ensure the sport is properly monitored to ensure integrity, conducting training programs and background checks of all key stakeholders, including athletes, staff, and league officials.
The league also secured the services of a third-party monitoring firm to track wagering activity.
“The league’s commitment to integrity and fair play impressed us from the outset,” said Schwartz.
“At the end of the day, RSI wants to offer our players engaging and high-integrity betting content, and we’re thrilled that Magic City’s league is able to achieve both of these goals.”
The new sport is available to BetRivers clients in Illinois and Iowa, with more states expected to regulate it in the near future.