With the clock presumably ticking, gaming houses in Florida are putting on a full-court press to hire staff for the possibility of starting craps and roulette games by the end of August.
Search results Wednesday on the Seminole Tribe casinos’ career portal returned a new tact for operators: craps and roulette dealer school “mixers.” Previous efforts by casinos in Florida were limited strictly to candidates with experience in those games.
When contacted for details on hiring plans, Seminole spokesperson Gary Bitner said the tribe wouldn’t comment “at this time.”
Craps and roulette have never been offered as table games in Florida, although casinos have digital versions of both games. The two games, along with terms of mobile sports betting, were not in previous Seminole gambling compacts with Florida. The 2021 version added them in, however. Casinos were readying their gaming floors for craps and roulette in the fall of 2021 before installation was halted because of a court ruling.
How craps, roulette could restart in Florida casinos
The terms of the 2021 compact were put on hold due to a lawsuit filed shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it in May 2021. West Flagler Associates, which operated two casinos in the state at the time, and its various gaming entities sued to block the compact. A district judge ruled it violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. A decision on June 30 by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the district judge’s ruling, so now it’s game on again for the two of the most popular casino offerings.
The earliest the games and mobile sports betting could be offered in Florida is Aug. 21, according to court rules.
Mobile sports betting could be easily launched since the tribe already has a sportsbook app, Hard Rock Bet, used in other states. Bob Jarvis, a gaming law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, thinks craps and roulette are a “whole different kettle of fish” because of staffing concerns, however.
“I would expect a launch for them around Christmas or New Year’s,” Jarvis told PlayFL, noting that both holidays would offer a chance for a high-publicity event.
Seminole Tribe’s latest recruitment efforts
In their jobs portal this week, the Seminoles now offer a general call to anyone interested in dealing the two new games.
“If you have always been fascinated by the thrill of craps and roulette, this is your chance to turn your passion into a profession,” the listing reads.
The posting also states the casinos will offer dealer schools for both games with an “offer guaranteed after successfully graduating dealer school.”
School will last eight to 12 weeks, and the class starts Aug. 8, according to the listing. Graduates would not be ready until October or November with that timeline.
Earlier this month, the tribe listed specific positions, including floor supervisors with mandatory five years of experience in both games. Shortly after those open jobs were posted, the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood had recruiting events at locations in Buffalo, New York; Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Uncasville, Connecticut, “seeking experienced casino professionals to relocate to sunny Hollywood, Florida and work at the iconic Guitar Hotel.” Sign-on bonuses and relocation packages were also offered.
It is unknown how many tables for both games would be available at each of the six Seminole casinos, but staff would have to be at the level to handle players. Since this would be the first time both historically popular games would be offered, it seems like demand would be high.
