Popp recalled “packed crowds” at the local fronton to watch live jai alai, a sport he calls “beautiful (and) fascinating.” Popp said by 2007 he was transferred by OBS to the intertrack wagering operation, where he remained until 2012.

He also became a jai alai player, playing at a number of frontons in the region under his first name. She also remembered the local high school graduations that were held at the facility.ĭale Popp, 67, worked at the fronton from around 1973 until 2007 and held positions from “ticket puncher” to manager.

50 cent beers in later years which attracted a big crowd. “It was a hot spot,” Britton said, describing a “reservations only” restaurant in the building, regular concerts, wresting events and. She said a jai alai player from Miami known as “Joey” was a sensation in the earlier days of the fronton and that the live play was “seasonal.” The shuttering of operations at the fronton, which county record state covers 62,238-square-feet, is the end of an era, according to Ginny Britton, who worked there from 1982 to 19 until 2007.īritton recalls visiting the fronton with her grandmother in the late 1970s. County Road 318, Orange Lake, was opened in 1973 “by the operators of the Miami fronton as a branch office and was one of 15 to 20 frontons doing business in the United States at that time.” We hope to see you soon at Ocala Bets,” states a pop-up flier on, noting that an opening date for Ocala Bets will be announced soon.Īccording to, the Ocala fronton, at 4601 W. 2023.“We would like to thank our loyal patrons for your patience during this process. The sign for the new Ocala Bets is shown across the street from Ocala International Airport at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company on Southwest 60th Avenue in Ocala, Fla.

Ocala jai alai poker