Hamilton Jai-Alai and Poker

About Hamilton Jai-Alai and Poker

Hamilton Jai-Alai and Poker is a Florida-licensed pari-mutuel gaming facility at 6968 US Highway 129 S in Jasper, Florida, operated by Richmond Entertainment, Inc. under a Florida Gaming Control Commission license. The facility offers live jai alai matches and a 10-table poker room with a restaurant and self-parking on site. Hamilton Jai-Alai is one of a small number of active jai alai frontons still operating live matches in the United States — Florida remains the primary home of live jai alai in the country.

Jasper is the county seat of Hamilton County in northern Florida, approximately 80 miles west of Jacksonville and 90 miles north of Gainesville via I-75 and US-129. The US Highway 129 address places the fronton on the southern approach to Jasper, in one of the more rural gaming markets in Florida.

Florida’s pari-mutuel gaming framework authorizes jai alai frontons, greyhound tracks, and horse racing facilities to operate card rooms alongside their primary pari-mutuel betting operations. The card rooms operate on a licensed-fee basis rather than as traditional house-banked casinos; games must use a player-banking or time-charge structure under Florida law. The jai alai component — the live sporting event and pari-mutuel wagering on match outcomes — is the distinctive offering that separates Hamilton from a standard poker room.

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Hamilton Jai-Alai and Poker

Jasper, Florida

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Hamilton Jai-Alai and Poker in Jasper, Florida

Jai Alai at Hamilton

Jai alai is the Basque sport that was a fixture of Florida entertainment and wagering from the 1920s through the 1990s, when dozens of frontons operated across the state. Players compete on a three-walled court called a fronton, using a wicker cesta basket strapped to their throwing arm to catch and hurl a hard rubber pelota ball at speeds that can exceed 180 mph — the fastest ball sport in the world by recorded velocity. Matches use a round-robin format; spectators bet through pari-mutuel wagering on match outcomes including win, place, show, quiniela (two-player combination), and perfecta bets.

The number of active live jai alai frontons in the United States has declined dramatically since the 1990s due to competition from other gaming, labor disputes with jai alai players (pelotaris), and the retirement of many skilled pelotaris. Hamilton Jai-Alai in Jasper, Hamilton County, is among the small group of Florida frontons still presenting live matches, alongside venues in Fort Pierce, Dania Beach, and Ocala. The pari-mutuel framework means jai alai wagering generates the licensing basis that permits the facility to also operate the card room poker component.

Poker Room

Hamilton Jai-Alai and Poker operates a 10-table poker room under Florida’s pari-mutuel cardroom license. Florida cardroom games operate under a player-banking or time-charge structure — the house collects a per-hand fee rather than maintaining a direct statistical advantage on the games. Current poker formats, stakes, and hours should be confirmed directly at hamiltonjaialai.com, as our directory data does not include specific poker types for this property.

Location

Hamilton Jai-Alai and Poker is at 6968 US Highway 129 S in Jasper, Florida. Jacksonville is approximately 80 miles east via I-10 and US-129. Gainesville is approximately 90 miles south via I-75 and US-129. Restaurant and self-parking are on site.

★ Editor note

One of the last live jai alai frontons in the US — 10-table poker room in Jasper, Hamilton County

Hamilton Jai-Alai and Poker is among the handful of venues in the United States where live jai alai pelotaris still compete on an active fronton. The combination of pari-mutuel jai alai wagering and a 10-table poker room is the distinctive offering of this northern Florida facility. Our directory data confidence is low for this property — the website (hamiltonjaialai.com) was unreachable during data collection. Confirm current live game schedules and poker room hours before making the trip to Jasper.

Priya Sharma

Responsible Gaming Editor