MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The Seminole Tribe of Florida announced Wednesday that they will move forward with an expansion of casino games after a gaming compact was approved by the Tribe and the State of Florida in 2021.
Last week, the US Supreme Court rejected an attempt to block the compact’s implementation.
Tribal officials from the Seminole Tribe and Seminole Hard Rock said Wednesday they will launch craps, roulette and sports betting at all six Seminole Casinos in Florida in December.
In South Florida, they will start on Dec. 7 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.
The new betting will launch at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa on Dec. 8.
They will launch Dec. 11 at Seminole Casino Immokalee, near Naples, and Seminole Brighton Casino, on the northwest side of Lake Okeechobee.
“The Seminole Tribe thanks the State of Florida, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice for defending our Compact. By working together, the Tribe, the State, and the federal government achieved a historic legal victory,” said Marcellus Osceola Jr., Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
“The Seminole Tribe of Florida’s new initiative will create jobs, increase tourism, and provide billions in added revenue for our state,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I was proud to work with the Tribe on our historic Gaming Compact and I look forward to its full implementation.”
Sports betting has been in limbo for two years in Florida amid a legal battle over the carrying out of a $2.5 billion gambling deal between the Seminole Tribe and the state.
In addition to allowing the Seminoles to add craps and roulette at their casinos, the agreement also allowed the Seminoles to add three casinos on tribal property in Broward County. In exchange, the Seminole tribe agreed to pay the state at least $2.5 billion over the first five years and possibly billions more throughout the 30-year agreement.
Tribal officials said they are moving forward with expanded gambling after a U.S. Supreme Court decision last week gave them a green light to proceed.
The tribe had no update Wednesday on its plans to offer online sports betting, but their announcement is expected to open hundreds of new jobs.
South Florida sports radio host Andy Slater was the first to report on the Seminole Tribe’s announcement.