TAMPA, Fla. — Hard Rock Casinos in Florida are launching new table games and in-person sports betting this week after a years-long court battle over the Gaming Compact signed between the Seminoles and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Hard Rock Casino locations in South Florida will open craps and roulette today, along with in-person sports betting.

Tampa’s Hard Rock Casino will follow suit on Friday.

Hard Rock Casino says expanding its gaming operations will create 1,000 new jobs across the state, and tourism officials hope the additional gambling opportunities will give visitors a more “Las Vegas” style appeal.

Some in Florida have been betting on sports since early November when Hard Rock launched its online sports betting app, Hard Rock Bet.

Sports betting fan Pat Carragher said he used the app for a few weeks in 2021 when Hard Rock made it available, but when litigation shut the app down, he said there was a lot of disappointment.

“Florida has just been a state where it’s just been kind of like an island where you can’t participate in any of it,” he said. “You see, maybe your friends in another state posting about their bets or talking about things that they are doing and you are sort of just here on the sidelines.”

With online sports betting now in full swing, Carragher said placing five to 10 small bets a week has become a pastime requiring research and his attention.

He says he only bets in small amounts, but if he plays right, his winnings can add up quickly.

“If you do your homework and research how guys are playing and what their stats are, you can really find advantages in every game at every position,” Carragher said.

The Seminoles have agreed to pay the state of Florida $2.5 billion the first five years for the additional gaming opportunity, and possibly billions more in the years after.

West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Ft. Myers Corp have been fighting the Seminoles’ gaming expansion, saying Florida voters are being ignored in the gaming expansion, and the exclusivity between the state and Seminoles will ultimately cost both companies money.