Seminole Tribe rebounds from poverty through gaming

Monday, May 10, 2004  

The Seminole Tribe of Florida opens its second new gaming facility on Tuesday, a $250 million venture that is a far cry from the tribe's recent days in poverty.

Up until the 1970s, tribal members struggled financially. Things started to change when the tribe began to sell tax-free cigarettes, and later, when the tribe opened the first high-stakes bingo hall in Indian Country in 1979.

The tribe now operates gaming facilities that bring in an estimated $300 million in profits every year. Tribal members get a $42,000 annual per cap.

Tomorrow, the tribe will open a large Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. It joins another Hard Rock casino that opened in March. The games offered are Class II electronic machines.

Get the Story:
Seminoles rock on with venture (The Palm Beach Post 5/10)
From hard times to Hard Rock (The South Florida Sun-Sentinel 5/10)
Seminoles poised to hit the jackpot (The Miami Herald 5/10)
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Paying attention to all the details (The Miami Herald 5/10)
Vegas-style glitz arrives at Seminole Reservation (The Miami Herald 5/10)