Blackjack, baccarat, 3 card poker and other new card games will begin June 22 at 6 p.m. at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood, as the Seminole Tribe continues to expand its offerings under a revenue-sharing agreement signed by Gov. Charlie Crist in November.
The tribe, which installed about 1,000 Las Vegas-style slot machines at the Hollywood casino in January as part of the agreement, will unveil 71 new card tables, including about 55 for blackjack. The rest of the tables will be divided among mini-baccarat, pai gow, Let It Ride and Three Card Poker.
”Clearly blackjack is the game — not just here at Hard Rock but on a national basis. It’s the game people want to play,” said James Allen, CEO of gaming operations for the tribe. “We’re thrilled to have it.”
The tribe went on a national search to hire about 700 dealers and another 100 people in support positions for the new card games. Most of the dealers have gained experience in places like Biloxi, Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
The tribe’s decision to push forward with the new games comes even as one of its competitors, the Isle Casino in Pompano Beach, filed suit this week alleging the games are illegal.
The Pompano Beach casino claims the gambling compact signed by the governor and the tribe is invalid because it violates the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which allows tribes to play only games already authorized in Florida. State-regulated casinos like The Isle are allowed to operate slot machines, but state law does not allow them to operate card games like blackjack.
The agreement requires that the tribe pay the state a minimum of $100 million annually in exchange for permission to offer the new games.
”It’s law, it’s legal and obviously we’re standing here today based on that premise,” Allen said, standing at the first blackjack table installed at the casino. “Certainly we respect the right of our competitors. If they want to challenge something, that’s up to them. . . The reality is, I could deal you a hand of blackjack right now and we’d be 100 percent legal.”
Another suit challenging the right of the tribe to offer new games also remains before the Florida Supreme Court. House Speaker Marco Rubio and other House leaders sued the governor and the tribe, claiming that the compact violated the Florida Constitution because it creates law without legislative action.
The court heard the case Jan. 30. It has not yet ruled.
Under the agreement with the governor, the tribe can open the games at all seven of its casinos. The Hard Rock Hollywood is the first. The Hard Rock near Tampa — probably in late fall — and the tribe’s Coconut Creek casino are likely next, Allen said.
The new games — which will likely have minimum bets of $5 to $25 and limits of $5,000 — will be unveiled in a ceremony at 6 p.m. on June 22.