High-stakes games pay off for Seminole Tribe

Thanks to introducing blackjack table games and advanced machine games beyond bingo, Florida's Indian gaming facilities increased revenue in 2008 by 19 percent to about $1.9 billion, the publisher of an annual gaming almanac reported.

That compares with 2 percent year-over-year growth in 2007, Casino City's 2009-10 Indian Gaming Industry Report stated.

Indian casinos nationwide reported 1.5 percent revenue growth in 2008 -- the slowest annual growth in recorded history - with $26.8 billion in gaming revenue amid the recession.

Florida ranks fifth nationwide in Indian gaming revenue. California ranked first at $7.3 billion.

The Seminole Tribe operates seven casinos in Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe operates one in Miami. The Seminoles added advanced table games at Hollywood, Fla., in June 2008; in Tampa in November 2008, and in Immokalee in December 2008.

Florida prospects continue to look strong, pending the outcome of political issues involving non-Indian gambling competitors and between conservatives in the state Legislature and the goals of the Seminole Tribe and Gov. Charlie Crist.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is planning a new hotel tower, additional meeting and convention space and a 1,500- to 2,000-seat music venue to be completed in phases by December 2011.

The Seminole Tribe also plans expansions at its Coconut Creek, Immokalee and Hollywood operations.

However, the Casino City report states expansion of non-Indian gaming in Florida could have potential negative impacts on Florida Indian gaming.

Crist had proposed giving the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to blackjack and slot machines beyond Broward and Miami-Dade counties, which have voter-approved slot machines. But Seminole gambling competitors oppose that plan.

And conservative lawmakers continue to oppose a Crist gambling compact he forged with the tribe in 2007 in which the tribe offered to cut the state in on a portion of gambling proceeds in exchange for operating advanced gambling.

The Florida Supreme Court stuck down the compact in 2008, but the tribe continues to operate advanced games under its original federally approved gaming compact.