HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Let the games begin.
The Sunshine State will enter a new era of gambling next month following a Wednesday announcement by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
The Tribe said they will move forward with expanded casino games based on the gaming compact signed and approved by the state in 2021. It received federal approval later that year. Since then, the deal had been hung up in legal limbo.
The Seminole Tribe-owned Hard Rock casinos in Florida launched their online sports betting app shortly after the deal was codified, but it was forced to shut down about a month later.
However, a federal appellate court sided earlier this year with the tribe and reversed a lower court decision that struck down the gaming compact.
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Wednesday's announcement comes after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Oct. 25 an attempt to block implementation of the compact.
Marcellus Osceola Jr., the chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, called it a "historic legal victory."
The Seminole Tribe and Seminole Hard Rock, located in Hollywood, said they plan to celebrate the implementation of the new gaming with celebrations in December for the launch of craps, roulette and sports betting at their six casinos.
"The Seminole Tribe of Florida's new initiative will create jobs, increase tourism, and provide billions in added revenue for our state," Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. "I was proud to work with the Tribe on our historic Gaming Compact and I look forward to its full implementation."
Sports betting, craps and roulette will be available to the public at the following locations and dates, according to the tribe:
- All three Seminole casinos in South Florida: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek starting Dec. 7
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa will launch Dec. 8
- Seminole Casino Immokalee, near Naples, and Seminole Brighton Casino, on the northwest side of Lake Okeechobee on Dec. 11
"With the expansion of the new scope, we are creating over 1,000 new jobs made possible by the compact," Jim Allen, the CEO of Seminole Gaming and Chairman of Hard Rock International, said. "This is a historic milestone that immediately puts Florida in the same league with the world's great gaming destinations."
The 2021 agreement between Florida and the Seminole Tribe said the state was guaranteed $2.5 billion in the first five years and an estimated $6 billion through 2030.
The compact also permits the construction of three more facilities on the Seminole Hollywood reservation.
