Ocala Gainesville Poker

Ocala Gainesville Poker is a casino located in Orange Lake, Florida (some sources say Reddick, Florida), that specializes in poker tournaments and live poker games.[1][2][3] It is located midway between Ocala and Gainesville.[2] The facility has 28 poker tables and 18 large plasma TVs that can be customized to display preferred sporting events or tracks for Inter Track Wagering (ITW) such as horse or dog races.[2] The casino offered tableside massages at a rate of $1 per minute.[2] A bar and café is available on-site.[2] Hosting private parties and tournaments is available at the venue.[2] The establishment also has a jai alai team when in season.[2]

Ocala Gainesville Poker
Exterior view, September 2023
Address 4601 W Hwy 318
Orange Lake, FL 32681
Opening date1973
Casino typeLand-based
OwnerOcala Breeders’ Sales
Websitehttps://www.ocalagainesvillepoker.com/
Interior view, September 2023

The institution was first established in 1973 as Ocala Jai-alai, which was a branch office of the Miami fronton.[4][5] At one time, the jai alai performances could attract about 2,000 people.[6] However, jai alai declined in popularity, so in 2008 the name was changed to Ocala Poker & Jai Alai with the focus shifted to poker.[5]

Due to the decline in popularity of jai alai, Ocala Gainesville Poker along with other frontons in Florida held matches as few as thirty days a year to satisfy the requirement to maintain its gambling license.[7] They hold forty performances (twenty matinee and twenty night performances) of eight games each to fulfill its legal requirements, but the performances are done behind curtains so as not to distract the poker tables.[6] The jai alai season generally is in February and March.[8]

Previously the fronton would have ten to twelve players, but by 2014, they used the same two non-professional players, former University of Florida football players Chris Doering and Judd Davis.[6] The casino generated profit through other means, such as poker.[6][7] It had been criticized particularly by those in the jai alai community for holding low quality jai alai matches with non-professional players.[6][9]

It is one of two card rooms in the surrounding area, the other being Oxford Downs. Ocala Gainesville Jai Alai is scheduled to permanently close on October 28,2023 to make room for the new room in the region, Ocala Bets.[10]

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales group took over the operation in 2017 and renamed it to its current name.[11]

References
  1. Casino City's North American Gaming Almanac. Casino City Press. 2005. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  2. "Ocala Poker & Jai-Alai in Reddick". VISIT FLORIDA. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  3. "Ocala Gainesville Poker & Jai-Alai Review by Casino City". Florida Casinos and Florida Gambling. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  4. "Ocala Jai-Alai". Jai-Alai. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  5. Clark, Anthony (2008-05-24). "Ocala Poker, Jai Alai start off roaring". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  6. Medina, Carlos E. (2014-05-13). "Critics say Marion fronton makes mockery of noble game". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  7. Gonzalez, Antonio (2008-07-31). "Goodbye jai-alai?". Ocala StarBanner. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  8. "Ocala Poker & Jai-Alai". World Casino Directory. 2016-11-11. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  9. "Legislators approve gambling compact, including sports betting". Ocala Gazette. 2021-05-21. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  10. Delgado, Jeremiah (2023-08-27). "Poker room with Vegas-style games coming to Ocala". Ocala-News.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  11. Medina, Carlos E. (2019-12-02). "OBS hopes to open card room". Ocala StarBanner. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
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