Miami Jai alai league considering leaving Florida after Magic City Casino lease expires

Driving the news: Scott Savin, chief operating officer of the World Jai-Alai League, says the league's lease at Magic City Casino is set to end later this year.

• The WJAL, which boasts celebrity investors like artist Pitbull and Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem, is in discussions with venues in South Florida, Las Vegas and Rhode Island.
• The league will play its final two seasons at Magic City, with the last games to be played in December.

What they're saying: "We really don't want to leave Florida but we have to take the best opportunity that comes along for us," Savin tells Axios.

Catch up quick: Jai alai, which originated in the Basque region of Spain and France before landing in the U.S. in 1904, has a 100-plus-year history in Florida.

• The sport's popularity in South Florida began to decline in the 1980s, when Florida authorized the lottery, leading to a players' strike, the Associated Press reports.
• Jai alai operators were hit hard by a 2021 law overturning a requirement that certain casinos host pari-mutuel gaming, like jai alai or horse racing, in exchange for keeping card rooms or slot machines.

State of play: Currently there are only two places in the U.S. where you can watch jai alai – the Magic City Casino and the Dania Beach Casino in Broward County, which now runs an annual tournament.

• The WJAL is owned by West Flagler Associates, which owned the Magic City Casino before selling in 2023.
• The terms of the sale allowed the WJAL to operate through the end of the year, Savin says.

How it works: Jai alai traditionally involves players launching goatskin balls off a three-walled fronton using a curved, hand-held wicker basket.

• The ball can travel up to 186 mph, according to the Federación Internacional de Pelota Vasca.
• The WJAL, which started operating in 2018 and employs 38 players across six teams, has used social media to entertain and educate new, younger audiences about the sport.
• It has also attempted to speed up the game by reducing the size of the court, substituting a rubber ball and making the rules more closely resemble singles tennis.

Follow the money: Each player earns a base salary and has full medical coverage. Earnings increase the more games you win.

• Last season, players earned between about $50,000 and $120,000, Savin says.
• Many players have second jobs or used to be pro athletes, like Tanard Davis, a former NFL player and University of Miami student athlete.
• "Our guys, they're not Jimmy Butlers and they're not making millions of dollars a year," Savin says, comparing his players to the disgruntled Heat superstar who left Miami for a big payday in Golden State. "They play because they love the game."

The latest: As of last month, jai alai fans can bet on the WJAL using the Hard Rock Bet app.

• It's part of the settlement in the lawsuit that WJAL parent company West Flagler Associates filed against the Seminole Tribe of Indians over its monopoly on sports betting.

What's next: Savin says the league, which is currently running a deficit, will begin to see a revenue bump from sports betting.

• The WJAL, which broadcasts games on platforms like Fubo, ESPN+ and for free on YouTube, is also in discussions to land a media rights deal.
• "We really just want to expose people to the sport."

If you go: The WJAL plays for a live crowd on Fridays at 7pm and plays broadcast-only games Monday and Tuesday at 5pm.

• Attendance and parking is free, for now.
• The current season runs through May 9 and the final season runs from September to December.