Jai Alai Returns to Casino Miami, Reviving Miami's Cultural Betting Scene

Jai alai, the niche sport with roots in the Basque Country, is looking to become a part of mainstream Miami sporting culture once again. A return to its home at Casino Miami is a big step toward that. The World Jai Alai League (WJAL) will host its championships at Casino Miami on May 8 at the brand-new Jai-Alai Miami (JAM) Arena.

WJAL Working to Bring Jai Alai Back to the Mainstream

Casino Miami hosted jai alai for 25 years from 1996 to 2021, but the venue has not been used since the sport moved out of the casino.

But 2021 was a rough year for jai alai as a new state law overturned a requirement that certain casinos host pari-mutuel gaming like jai alai or horse racing in order to keep card rooms or slot machines.

The brand-new JAM Arena opened in February as a renovated entertainment space to start the comeback of the sport in South Florida. It is a 1,500-seat venue that has a redesigned entryway connected to the casino. The league runs from February to May and is the only place in the country where it is possible to regularly watch live jai alai.

The WJAL is working hard to bring the sport back into the mainstream consciousness of Miami. The league has been successful so far in growing its following on social media, as new fans are intrigued by the unique sport and its cultural connection to the history of Vice City.

Outside of the sport, Casino Miami was once a prominent casino known for hosting big-time classic concerts by Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, and Bruce Springsteen.

Betting on Jai Alai

Jai alai is a large-scale betting sport, which is why it has always been associated with casinos throughout its history in Miami. The betting surrounding the sport is complex and is not as simple as rooting for one team to win over the other. As one commenter on a YouTube video about the sport explains:

I grew up in Miami and was never a gambler but I really loved jai-alai and the thing about it that got me interested was in sports you pick a winner and cheer them on to always win But in jai-alai you can bet a quinella (1st and 2nd pick any order) so sometime you actually had to cheer for another team to either win or loose [sic] a round to make your quinella work. Made it a lot of fun to watch.

Today, wagering on the sport can be done through DraftKings Sportsbook, Hard Rock Bet, or FanDuel. Jai alai uses parimutuel betting. All wagers are grouped into a pool where the odds fluctuate based on total betting volume. Modern league formats offer fixed odds, allowing bettors to see their potential return immediately.

Bettors can wager on specific sets, including who wins a particular point during live betting.

The Rise and Fall of Jai Alai in Miami

Jai alai means “Merry Festival” in Basque, where the sport originated. It is sometimes referred to as “the fastest sport in the world” due to the speed at which the rubber ball moves. Players use a curved wicker basket to hurl the ball against a three-walled court. The ball can reach speeds of up to 150 mph.

The sport was important from the Basque Country to Cuba around 1900, where it quietly remained part of Cuban culture. Thanks in large part to Cuban immigrants, the sport suddenly exploded in popularity in Miami in the 1970s and 1980s.

It would pack stadiums, and celebrities often attended, such as Miami Dolphins players. A classic video from the 70s shows how the game was played back then. Clips of the sport being played were in the intro to the show Miami Vice. For the better part of a decade, it fueled gambling, nightlife, and tourism.

Over time, jai alai declined in popularity due to a wild series of betting scandals and crime-related incidents that could fill the pages of its own book. There were also strikes within the sport as players grew unhappy with their pay compared to the amounts being bet on the results.

The introduction of other betting opportunities in Florida also steered the average Floridian away from the once-booming sport as it slowly faded into a forgotten, nostalgic pastime.

Image Credit: Gilbert Supakowa / Flickr (license)

Jeffrey McMillan

Poker Writer

Jeffrey is an Expert Sports and Poker Writer with poker being his specific scope for the better part of five years. He has worked in various capacities at the biggest poker events in the world, WSOP, EPT, local tournaments and more. He has worked with PokerNews, Poker.Org, 888poker and the WSOP itself through the years. Jeff is also a fervent follower of many sports, professional, collegiate and international, with a particular interest in tennis. He received a Master's in Sports Management from the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and a Bachelors in the same field from Clemson University.