Ground recently was broken on a development in Florida City for a jai-alai fronton and eventually a poker room. Called Kings Court, it’s owned by John Brunetti, who also owns the Hialeah, Florida casino and historic horse racetrack. Located at the intersection of highways to the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park, Brunetti hopes the development in the poorest city in Miami-Dade County will attract large numbers of tourists. He bought it in 2015 for .7 million.
According to the state permit, the property must hold its first jai-alai matches by June 11 and three more sets by June 18. If Brunetti fails to meet the deadlines, the state will hold a hearing to decide if he should be fined or if the license should be suspended. Brunetti said under the circumstances the games will be held in a pre-fab 17,600 square foot jai-alai center, and a 2,750 square foot bingo trailer, restroom trailers and shower trailers also will be on-site, plus food trucks.
Florida City Mayor Otis Wallace said, “They have a very tight timeline to get this built. It’s very clear what’s going on. They are working very feverishly to finish it. Their ultimate vision for the rest of that property in the far future includes an entertainment complex. For now though, this is the focus.” He noted the nearest cardroom is 35 miles away at Miccosukee Resort & Gaming.
Wallace also said Florida City has a population of 12,000—nearly half living below the poverty line. But about 150 single family homes, 114 townhomes and two hotels are scheduled to be built, and later a Publix, Family Dollar, Harbor Freight, Waffle House, Texas Roadhouse and Enterprise car rental are planned. “The excitement that goes with a project like this always spurs other development around it. This will give people a reason to stop and invest in our community,” he said.
Brunetti explained Florida’s 30-year-old gambling law allows a summer permit to be awarded to the lowest-performing parimutuel in a county. In 2011, that was Hialeah Park in Miami-Dade. As a result, Brunetti was able to obtain the summer jai-alai permit at Florida City. “The location in Florida City is favorable, not only because of tourists heading to and from the Keys, but also because the Homestead Speedway and Biscayne National Park are so close by. It’s perfect,” he said.
Brunetti added he plans to apply for a license to operate a poker room at King’s Court after launching jai-alai. “Once we go into Phase 2, we’ll most likely break ground on a second structure, where there will be a food and beverage spot along with other amenities,” he said.
He also has said he hopes the legislature will pass decoupling legislation, allowing jai-alai frontons and racetracks to offer slots without running a parimutuel. The Senate’s proposed gambling bill includes decoupling but the House measure does not.
