Eldorado Resorts, owner of Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, and its joint venture partner, Cordish Companies of Baltimore, recently asked the city of Pompano Beach, Florida for permission to install a 300-seat jai alai fronton at the standardbred horseracing track.
Cordish Chief Executive Officer David Cordish said horseracing and jai alai could be offered at Pompano Park. “There could be both. Just speaking personally I find jai alai a fascinating and truly local sport with a great history.” He predicted “there will be a resurgence in the popularity of the sport.”
Jai alai promoters believe that’s already happening in South Florida, as the sport recovers from a sharp decline that occurred following a strike in the early 1990s. One sign of new life is evident at Magic City Casino in Miami, where the second jai alai season has just started. The venue closed its greyhound racing operation after voters approved a statewide constitutional amendment ending the sport. Its jai alai season runs from July 1 through November 30.
In addition, Gulfstream West, the former Calder Race Course, will start its second jai alai season August 1; horseracing is no longer offered there. The new jai alai season will begin at Casino Miami on August 1. Also, Dania Beach Jai Alai, which has offered jai alai for decades, recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation as part of the Casino at Dania Beach.
Arnaldo Suarez, general manager at the casino at Dania Beach, said, “Our ownership group and management firmly believe that jai alai can be re-energized within the South Florida community. It’s an icon of the city. It has brought thousands of people to our fronton.” He added when casinos drop racing operations and added jai alai, “it allows for potential new fans.”
Magic City Casino Chief Operating Officer Scott Savin noted, “We’re extremely happy with how things are going. Jai alai, quite honestly, was on death’s doorstep. So far we are on course. There’s more interest. Some days there might be only 30 people in our audience. Last Sunday we had over 250 people here. We encourage people to come out with their kids.”
Savin added operating a jai alai operation is more cost effective than a dog racing track. “On the real estate side, instead of needing the acreage for a track and kennels for dogs, now you’re talking about a fronton. With a glass wall front that separates the players from spectators, people can stand at the far end of the fronton and see the ball hitting the wall at a 125 or 150 miles per hour,” he said.
