Here’s a trivia question for you. What is the fastest ball sport in the world? Well, the answer is probably not on the tip of your tongue. It is in fact, jai alai and it is in danger of being wiped out. You can bet that supporters of the sport in Miami, USA, will do all they can to prevent that happening.
Any Spanish readers might have got the answer to our question. You see jai alai is a variation of the Basque pelota game. To play jai alai, involves bouncing a ball off a walled-in space. This is done by using a wicker cesta and the ball can reach speeds as high as 130mph. Never has ball-eye coordination been so important as when playing jai alai.
Those of you who go to the Magic City Casino in Miami most likely got the answer right away. People don’t just go to the casino to play games such as blackjack or roulette. There is a dedicated bunch who regularly go there to play jai alai.
The sport is about to celebrate 100 years and has been played in Miami since the 1970s, but problems began in the 80s. The Florida Lottery was launched, affecting the amounts bet on the sport. Then came a two-year strike by player that seriously affected the sport. Last year a deal was signed that gave the Seminole tribe a monopoly on online sports betting causing big problems for casinos in the state.
The Magic City Casino is the last venue where professional jai alai takes place. Over the years it has attracted fans such as John Travolta and Paul Newman, but attendances have dipped dramatically since the glory days.
A recent event saw just a few dozen attend. One of the features of this sport has been the gambling that takes place and that has declined too. There’s been a drift towards online gambling and the lack of bets being placed has seriously affected the sport.
If you want to bet online and haven’t much experience, then some help is needed. Reading a US online betting guide can make you considerably more knowledgeable.
The number of players who would travel from around the world to play has also fallen. Events now mainly consist of local talent rather than international players.
Is there a future for jai alai? Scott Savin is the CEO of Magic City and he is “pretty confident” that is the case. “At least there’s a present, so that means we have a fighting chance at a future,” he added. But what can be done to ensure that jai alai doesn’t just fade into history?
There’s a roster of 28 players at the Magic City Casino. All but seven of them are home based with others coming from Spain, the Philippines and France. For seven years, the overseas players used to take part in events at The Casino at Dania Beach Casino but that came to an end in 2021.
Inaki Goitiandia comes from Northern Spain, and he’s been playing the game since the age of 10. His father and grandfather both moved to Miami, and he has joined them, knowing how popular jai alai was in the city.
Four years ago, American Footballer Tanard Davis, 39, became a jai alai player after moving to Miami. He has limited ability and experience and says playing is like “a high school basketball player facing off against Lebron James.” He wants to play the game though even if he has little chance of becoming very successful. It really is a case of it’s the taking part that is most important.
All sports change over the years. Magic City have made the game even faster by cutting down the traditional size of the froton by nearly 60 feet. There’s a new bouncier pelota and rather than hitting it against a granite wall, plexiglass is now used. New rules are being experimented with. Battle Court matches now take place making the sport more like a tennis singles match.
Sports often do this to attract new fans. Cricket is now dominated by shorter matches and the hope is the changes to jai alai may increase the numbers watching the sport. Broadcasting matches online is also happening and Magic City are partnering with BetRivers, who online sportsbooks in seven US states.
Team sponsorship is another way of pumping money into the sport. You can sponsor Cesta Cyclones or Wall Warriors for $100,000. It’s hoped that all this will help save jai alai. As Savin says: “it’s crawl, walk, run” and he believes they are past crawl now.
It’s hoped that the Dania Beach Casino will again regularly play the sport. Fans don’t want to see jai alai just fade away. Hopefully, the moves being taken to boost its popularity will see a revival take place.
(Header Image Creator: Bo Chambers)
Robert Griffith is a content and essay writer. He is collaborating with local magazines and newspapers. Robert is interested in topics such as marketing and history.
