The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which offers legalized sports betting through its Hard Rock Bet mobile app, has begun rolling out a new game on the platform that resembles Las Vegas-style slot machines.
Images of cherries, diamonds, buffalo and other traditional slot machine icons quickly spin by on the video screen as upbeat music plays in the background. Chimes, bells, and brightly colored animated sequences alert players when they’ve won money.
[WATCH: Florida unveils new problem gambling helpline]
But unlike actual slot machines used by gamblers to bet on randomly generated symbols, players of Hard Rock Bet’s new game place wagers on the results of past NASCAR races.
“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,” a representative of Hard Rock Bet said. “The outcomes of those wagers are shown to the player using entertaining video depictions.”
[WATCH: Florida House gives gambling bill with Seminole Tribe final approval]
Under the 2021 compact, which was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis and ratified by the Florida Legislature, the Seminole Tribe of Florida can offer mobile sports betting statewide using servers located on tribal property.
That agreement does not allow mobile casino games like slots.
The compact defines “sports betting” as “wagering on any past or future” sporting events, including “any motor vehicle race.”
Hard Rock Bet’s operators contend that the compact’s language regarding ‘past’ motor vehicle races authorizes the slot‑like game.
Congressman Randy Fine, who negotiated the 2021 gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe when he served in the state legislature, does not believe the new game complies with the sports betting agreement.
“This is clearly slot machine style gambling,” said Fine, a former gaming industry executive who chaired the Florida House Select Committee on Gaming. “It clearly violates the spirit of the compact.”
When players open the “Games” tab on the sports betting app, the display defaults to the slot machine interface.
Users can immediately select a wager amount, which begins at $1, and push a button to spin the reels.
There is no obvious indication on the display that users have chosen a “quick pick” bet on past NASCAR races.
Within seconds, players are notified if their bets have won. Payouts are immediately credited to their account balance.
Besides offering a “quick pick” bet using the slot-like interface, the app allows players to make manual selections by pushing a small button in the upper-right corner labeled “Click to enter the Race view.”
There, players are invited to select the finishing order of drivers in three undisclosed NASCAR races that occurred months or years ago.
The identities of the top four drivers in each race are not immediately revealed and instead are labeled with letters like A, B, C, and D.
The app gives players two minutes to quickly put 12 drivers in the preferred finishing order of first, second, third, and fourth places in each of the three races.
To help players make more informed decisions before betting, statistics about the drivers are available. Those stats compare the drivers’ average finish positions, average start positions, and level of laps led.
Players are given 30 seconds to view statistics about the 12 drivers. That time is deducted from the two minutes allotted for selecting the 12 drivers’ finishing order.
If a player fails to make manual selections within the two-minute period, the app makes automatic “quick picks.”
After manual selections are entered, players are returned to the slot-like display where they can push a button to place their bets.
As with the default “quick pick” mode, the reels on this simulated slot machine spin, and the results of the wager are announced through visual and audio cues.
After the bet is complete, players can visit the “Race view” page to see the results of the completed NASCAR race.
Details include the names of the three races, such as the Daytona 500, the dates the races were run, the names of the top four NASCAR drivers in each race, and the order those drivers crossed the finish line.
Gamblers who do not have the time or interest to manually select the drivers’ finish order can simply play the slot-like game in its default “quick pick” mode.
“Maybe [the Seminole Tribe] found a loophole,” Fine told News 6. “I think it does violate the law.”
The Brevard County Republican said the tribe originally wanted the 2021 gaming compact to include mobile slot machine games, but state officials rejected it.
“They wanted to be able to do this. We told them no,” said Fine. “Online sports betting is fundamentally different than online casino games (and has) an infinitely bigger market.”
Under the 2021 compact, the State of Florida is guaranteed to receive a minimum of $2.5 billion in revenue share payments over the first five years.
If online slot machines had been included in the compact, Fine said the revenue split would have been different.
The governor or state legislature could potentially challenge the new Hard Rock Bet game in court, according to Fine.
DeSantis did not respond to questions from News 6 inquiring whether he believes the slot-like game complies with the letter and the spirit of the gaming compact.
[WATCH: Dollars & Sense: Betting on America’s sports gambling boom]
The Florida Gaming Control Commission, which regulates gambling in Florida, did not respond to questions about the matter.
A spokesperson for the Seminole Tribe of Florida referred questions to Hard Rock Bet.
A Hard Rock Bet representative directed News 6 to the app’s FAQ page.
Only seven states have legalized online casino games, including Delaware, Michigan and New Jersey, according to CBS Sports.
Several other states, including Kentucky and Wyoming, have authorized “historical horse racing” that allows players to bet on completed horse races using terminals that resemble slot machines. Those terminals are typically located inside racetracks and betting parlors.
Florida appears to be the first state where results from historical NASCAR races are being used in conjunction with mobile games resembling slot machines.