The Seminole tribe of Florida is broadening its reach, moving on
large-scale gaming and hotel projects in the Dominican Republic and in
Hungary. Three years ago, the tribe purchased the Hard Rock name for
almost $1 billion. It is now planning five to 10 hotels over the next 10
years, with even more hotels in cities that do not have casinos. The
news comes after a high-profile pitch
by the Las Vegas Sands Group for gaming resorts in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, which would, if
approved, severely cut into the Seminole’s hold on the South Florida
gaming market. [Sun Sentinel]

Casino executives from top Las Vegas resorts are making the case for a slew of Nevada-style resorts in Florida. The proposal includes four to six gambling resorts, each likely to cost more than $2 billion. According to Amy Baker, the Florida Legislature’s chief economist, the state could generate up to $2.3 billion just from up-front fees. The company is particularly interested in Miami-Dade and Broward locations. This is not the first time such a bid has been made, including the more recent lobbying by the developers of the Fontainebleau remodel in 2008. Questions remain about how such a proposal, if approved, would affect those casinos already operated by Indian tribes such as the Hard Rock, and whether any gambling rule liberalization would apply to pre-existing facilities in the state. [Sun-Sentinel] 2 Comments

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