Seminole Tribe promises more jobs with Class III casino compact

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

A view of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Tampa, Florida. Photo from Facebook

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The Seminole Tribe will create 15,000 more jobs with a new Class III gaming compact, a top executive said.

In an interview with The Orlando Sentinel, Seminole Gaming CEO James Allen said the agreement will enable the tribe to expand its facilities, primarily by adding more hotel space. Construction will generate 9,000 to 10,000 jobs and another 4,200 to 4,500 positions will be permanent, he said.

"We are committed to a capital expenditure and expansions of primarily nongaming amenities, specifically hotel rooms, to the tune of somewhere between $1.8 billion to $2 billion," Allen told the Sentinel, which published a transcript of the interview.

The agreement runs for another 20 years and promises the tribe regional exclusivity for blackjack, roulette and craps. In exchange, the tribe has promised to share an estimated $3.1 billion with the state.

The compact needs to be ratified by the Florida Legislature before it can be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for review.

Get the Story:
Tribe's case for gambling agreement (The Orlando Sentinel 1/5)
Are All Bets Off On Legislature's Passage Of Gambling Deal? (The News Service of Florida 1/5) Related Stories:
Editorial: Seminole Tribe's gaming compact is good for Florida (12/28)
Seminole Tribe agrees to share $3B with new Class III gaming compact (12/08)
Seminole Tribe and state remain at odds for new casino compact (12/03)
Seminole Tribe willing to share $3B in casino revenue with state (11/20)
Seminole Tribe keeps blackjack games as key deadline passes (10/30)
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