There is a new YouTube video up on the History of the Tampa Jai-alai Fronton. The 10 ½ minute video was produced by “Rex” of the Hilsborean, Historian.
Lots of interesting newspaper articles and ticket stubs of various artists who performed there from The Bee Gees to Bruce Springfield. I remember going there in October 1974 to watch a closed-circuit theater TV broadcast of the Ali-Frazier fight aka The Rumble in the Jungle. They didn’t even take down the screen if I recall correctly.
Special thanks to Alan Antinori for sharing this with us.
Berlin, Conn: April 24, 2025: This weekend, America’s best amateur cancha is hosting another tournament – this one to celebrate their 15th anniversary.
As most of you know by know by now, the great Francisco “Patxi” Churruca passed away this week. He attended Matt’s Grand Opening Celebration 15 years ago. Without a doubt was one of the greatest players of all time. A real treat to watch him play at Bridgeport in 1976.
Friday night, Matt DiDomizio will be hosting Singles games and on Saturday will be hosting Doubles matches.
Here are the exclusive program pages for both performances.
If you are among the few that still go to Derby Lane to place bets on jai-alai (yes, you Crab!), we have some breaking news to share with you. Multiple sources have confirmed to the Pelota Press that the huge 144-acre Derby Lane property has been sold and will become a huge Destination Venue with a huge casino operating (at least) slot machines and poker, a hotel with parking lot, retail, and restaurants.
Located in St. Petersburg Florida, Derby Lane was once the oldest and largest continuously open dog racing track in the world until a voters from a statewide amendment voted to shut down dog racing. They last ran racing on December 27, 2020. Crowds of over 10,000 a night were common as people flocked to the huge facility for nearly 100 years. A tuxedo dressed band would play the march before every race and male patrons were required to wear a jacket in the huge multilevel restaurant overlooking the finish line.
On Tuesday, April 15th, the property was reportedly sold to an investor with close connections to the Seminole Tribe. Today, the track still operates a huge and very successful poker room with various casino games such as 3 card poker and parimutuel wagering. The parking lot is rented by Amazon with hundreds of trucks seen in the lot at any time.
The plan is to open a huge casino with slot machines. While all this sounds hunky-dory, I question about the legality of it. Casinos with slot machines in the state of Florida must be on Indian land unless they were a parimutuel operating in Broward or Dade County where voters approved it many years ago. Those include Pompano, Magic City, Gulfstream, Dania, Calder, and a few others. The Hard Rock in Tampa operates the highest grossing casino in the United States, while Hollywood’s multiple Hard Rock casinos including the Guitar Hotel & Casino offer a Vegas-like atmosphere. The Hard Rock is the only company that can operate casinos in Florida (outside of the ones already in operation in those two countries mentioned) for the next 30 years.
This buyer does have a connection or a relationship with the Hard Rock, but not much else is known about him. I’m pretty sure that the Hard Rock would have to be involved and legally turn that 144 acre (of which only 100 acres can be built on because of low water levels, mangroves, tec.).
The selling price was reportedly for $60 million dollars. The entire building, which opened on January 3, 1925, would be torn down and replaced with the casino, retail, hotel with garage. Would be nice seeing something there instead of the Amazon Parking lot that hogs it up now.
Hopefully, our jai-alai betters will be able to continue to bet our great sport there if parimutuel wagering is offered.
Could Derby Lane be designated tribal land? According to our buddy Joe Cannella, all they need is the Department of the Interior to approve it.
If you recall when sports betting was approved, the DOI is solidly on the Tribe’s side. Not sure if Tampa Bay Downs or the old Tampa Dog track, which operate poker rooms, would appreciate that.
