We named our press imprint after the sport of jai-alai because we wanted a name that evoked Miami without using the word Miami.

The sport of Jai-Alai ('Hi-Li') was invented in the Basque region of Spain. The name means 'merry festival.' Jai-Alai was brought to America in 1904 and was one of the fastest growing sports in the 1970s and 80s until it collapsed amid financial mismanagement and rumors of mob-related match-fixing. (Oh, and murder.) Fewer than ten frontons are still operational. Many of the most beautiful have been demolished or have fallen into disrepair.

Jai Alai Casino Miami Florida Direction

In its heyday, the Biscayne Fronton (now “Casino Miami Jai-Alai”) hosted thousands of tuxedo-clad Miamians every weekend. At the tail end of its prosperity, it hosted the Grateful Dead. Now, the building is attached to a small casino that subsidizes mid-afternoon games attended by ten-to-twenty regulars, the survival of the game solely dependent on a 2003 Florida law that allows paramutual and table gambling wherever jai-alai is played.

Jai Alai Florida

Magic City Casino Jai Alai

JAI-ALAI Come and join us for the fastest game ever played by man. For over 60 years, The Casino @ Dania Beach has been hosting live Jai Alai matches on our recently renovated court with seating for up to 500 spectators. Watch in awe as our athletes run and jump to return balls traveling over 200 miles per hour to win the day. Casino Miami Jai-alai is located at 3500 N.W. 37th Avenue, in Miami, Florida about 10 minutes from the Miami International Airport. The facility had been closed for some time but re-opened in January, 2012 after a nearly $90 million remodeling, with a 40,000 square foot casino floor featuring over 1,000 slots, a 24 table poker room, electronic blackjack and roulette tables, and the only place. Live the JAI life at Magic City Casino. Magic City Jai-Alai returns in February 2021 ★ Check out The Jai-Alai Channel on YouTube! You’ll see all the games and fun features you won’t find anywhere else. Casino Fort Pierce is the treasure coast’s hottest casino with live poker, daily promotions, table games and simulcasting. Enjoy an ice cold drink and try your luck today! Casino Fort Pierce, now with more payouts, is located at 1750 South Kings Highway between Turnpike Exit 152 and I-95 Exit 129.

Jai Alai is played on a three-walled court. Eight players or teams of two players play “round-robin” style to be the first to reach seven or nine points depending on the type of match. When a player or team scores, they remain on the court and play the next competitor. The non-scoring player or players go to the back of the line and wait for their next turn on the court.

Miami Jai Alai Closed

Players take turns launching a goat-skin ball toward the front wall of the court. The opposing player or players must catch and return the ball with a wicker scoop, called a cesta, in one fluid motion while the ball is still airborne or shortly after the first bounce. Play continues until a player or team us unable to return the ball. When that happens, the other team scores.

Once a player or team has scored the seven or nine points required, the next highest score “places,” and the third highest “shows.”

Jai Alai Casino Miami Florida Location Map

These balls travel in excessive of 200 miles per hour. It’s fast, it’s loud, and it’s always exciting. Swing by our casino and experience the action yourself!