Editing Jai alai (section)

==== Florida ====
[[File:Miami Jai Alai fronton.jpg|thumb|Miami Jai Alai fronton, built in 1926 and known as "The Yankee Stadium of Jai Alai"<ref name="SBnation">{{cite web | url=https://www.sbnation.com/longform/2013/2/28/4036934/jai-alai-sport-in-america-miami | title=WHAT HAPPENED TO JAI ALAI? | publisher=SB Nation | date=2013-02-28}}</ref>]]The first fronton in Florida opened at the site of [[Hialeah Park Race Track|Hialeah Race Course]] near Miami in 1924. The fronton was relocated to its present site in Miami near [[Miami International Airport]]. The [[Miami Jai-Alai Fronton]] was the biggest in the world with a record audience of 15,502 people on 27 December 1975.  

Besides the fronton in Miami, there were at one time at least 10 other jai alai frontons in the state. 

The Tampa Jai Alai fronton opened in 1952 and operated until 1998. It was located on South Dale Mabry Highway on land that now hosts a Home Depot. The seating capacity of the fronton was around 4,000.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Guzzo |first1=Paul |date=3 July 2018 |title=Jai alai went bye-bye in Tampa 20 years ago. Here is its legacy |url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/2018/07/03/jai-alai-went-bye-bye-in-tampa-20-years-ago-here-is-its-legacy/ |access-date=2021-12-02 |work=[[Tampa Bay Times]]}}</ref> 

Dania Jai Alai phased out professional jai alai in November 2021. It has a "Hall of Fame" that documents the best front- and back-court players.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} 

Jai-alai was also played at Palm Beach Jai-Alai in West Palm Beach, Orlando Jai-Alai in Casselberry,  Daytona Jai-Alai at the Daytona Intl. Speedway, and Big Bend Jai-Alai in Quincy.

It was played seasonally at Fort Pierce Jai-Alai in Fort Pierce, [[Ocala Jai-Alai]] in Reddick, and Jasper Jai-Alai in Hamilton.

One Florida fronton, in [[Melbourne, Florida|Melbourne]], was converted from jai alai to greyhound racing, although it later closed.

In an effort to prevent the closure of frontons in Florida, the [[Florida Legislature|Florida State Legislature]] passed HB 1059, a bill that changed the rules regarding the operation and wagering of [[poker]] in a [[Pari-Mutuel|parimutuel]] facility such as a jai alai fronton and a greyhound and horseracing track. The bill became law on August 6, 2003. 

===== Present status =====
In the mid-to-late 20th century, games could draw 5,000 spectators, a figure that fell to as few as 50 by 2017.<ref name="GAbrisketa" />

Today, only two frontons remain open in the state.  One  is operated by Jai Alai World at the Magic City Casino northwest of [[downtown Miami]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Jai-Alai League - Home |url=https://jaialaiworld.com/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=jaialaiworld.com}}</ref>  The fronton offers two kinds of games: the traditional parimutuel game, in which eight contestants compete for win, place and show finishes;<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Jai-Alai League - Pelota |url=https://jaialaiworld.com/pelota |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=jaialaiworld.com}}</ref> and "battle court," in which players participate in singles and doubles matches, akin to [[tennis]], and accumulate points as in a [[dual meet]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Jai-Alai League - Battle Court |url=https://jaialaiworld.com/battlecourt |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=jaialaiworld.com}}</ref> Matches are played with rubber balls and streamed online from the Jai Alai World website. Jai Alai World also host special jai alai events include the U.S. Jai Alai Championship<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. National Jai-Alai Championship |url=https://usnjac.com/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=usnjac.com}}</ref> and World Super Court.<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Jai-Alai League - World Super Court |url=https://jaialaiworld.com/worldsupercourt |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=jaialaiworld.com}}</ref>

In 2022, [[Rivers Casino (Pittsburgh)|BetRivers]] became a sponsor and began taking wagers from users outside Florida.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BetRivers |date=2021-09-22 |title=Try Jai Alai Betting, Exclusively at BetRivers Illinois and Iowa! |url=https://blog.betrivers.com/try-jai-alai-betting-exclusively-at-betrivers-illinois-and-iowa/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=BetRivers Network |language=en-US}}</ref>  

The second operational fronton is located at The Casino @ Dania Beach will commence its next session of jai alai on November 29, 2024, with the Third Annual Dania Beach Invitational Tournament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jai Alai |url=https://www.casinodaniabeach.com/jai-alai/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=The Casino @ Dania Beach |language=en-US}}</ref>