As Hurricane Milton barrels through Florida, the Sunshine State braces for impact. As part of the precautions, several of the state’s gambling establishments aren’t operating as if it were business as usual.
At its peak, while moving across the Gulf of Mexico, Milton was classified as a Category 5 storm. It made landfall near Sarasota, about an hour south of Tampa as a Category 3 hurricane.
The storm is expected to cause extensive damage to St. Petersburg, Tampa and other cities near the Tampa Bay area. Forecasts have the storm moving over the central region of the state and out into the Atlantic Ocean by Thursday afternoon or evening.
Aside from sports betting, lawmakers didn’t add online gambling to the latest Florida gaming compact. Hurricane activity wouldn’t affect Florida online casinos anyway and the brick-and-mortar properties in the storm’s path will make adjustments.
This isn’t the first time Hurricanes affected Florida casinos. Just two years ago, Hurricane Ian forced the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa casino to close for several days.
Here’s a look at how Hurricane Milton is affecting different casinos across the state.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos operating with limited service
The Seminole Tribe operates the state’s only six Las Vegas-style casinos. They are the only properties with Class III gaming and half its properties will alter schedules.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa
On its website, the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa location says that it is offering limited services at the Rise Kitchen & Deli and Jubao Palace Noodle Bar. Its website also says casino gaming falls under “limited service,” but does not provide any more details.
Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee
The Seminole’s Immokalee location announced on its website that it was no longer accepting hotel reservations on Wednesday or Thursday this week. The 1st Street Deli dining option will also be closed, and menus may be limited.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
A number of the eateries at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood were closing early on Wednesday and either not opening Thursday or resuming operations Thursday. The tribe is demonstrating an abundance of caution since Broward County is not expected to be hit with incredibly severe weather.
Abiaka Wood Fire & Grill and Kuro will both be closed on Thursday. Cipresso and Council Oak Steaks & Seafood closed at 9 p.m. Wednesday but are slated to open on Thursday.
Recreational options at the property will be limited. Due to the hurricane, the Hollywood, Oasis and Guitar hotel pools are all closed until Friday this week.
Hurricane Milton affected shopping at the property, too. A number of options closed Wednesday at 4 or 5 p.m. Hublot, InMotion, Jocale, Kristals, Lux, Maceoo, Wentworth Gallery and Weston Jewelers are all closed on Thursday due to the storm, according to the website.
Florida casino events postponed by Hurricane Milton
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood postponed two events. The Tampa property canceled a third.
Pop music duo FOR KING + COUNTRY was originally slated to perform at the venue on Thursday, Oct. 10. Hard Rock announced on this week that due to the hurricane, the new concert date is Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The other event scheduled at the venue this week was Luis Fonsi, a Puerto Rican singer. They scheduled his concert for Saturday, Oct. 12, but will now perform on Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. ET.
Hard Rock said that for guests who already purchased tickets for the originally scheduled shows, their tickets will still remain valid for the rescheduled dates. For those who cannot make the new dates, Hard Rock will accept refunds at the point or purchase up to the newly scheduled date.
Unlike the flagship property, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa canceled Teddy Swims’ appearance at the Hard Rock Events Center. The tribe will refund ticketholders.
“All tickets will be automatically refunded at the point of purchase,” a message on the website reads. “We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.”
Tampa Bay area pari-mutuels closing while Milton passes
A few poker rooms in Florida shut down operations temporarily due to the storm.
All the poker rooms in Tampa Bay closed this week ahead of Milton. TGT Poker and Racebook at Tampa Bay Downs shuttered their operation and hope to reopen as early as Thursday.
Win! Derby announced via Instagram that it would be closing until the hurricane clears the area, too.
“We are relocating our auxiliary power and cooling to a safe area to ensure that we can open immediately once the storm has cleared. Please be safe!” the post read.
Lastly, One-Eyed Jack’s, a pari-mutuel in Sarasota that used to have dog races, closed on Wednesday and will reopen on Friday.
Harrah’s Pompano not altering WSOP Circuit schedule
The lone Caesars property in the Sunshine State, Harrah’s Pompano Beach, didn’t make any major changes to its operation. Caesars doesn’t mention anything about the storm on the property’s website.
Additionally, the World Series of Poker Circuit will run a stop at the property from Oct. 10-21. A Wednesday tweet from the WSOP states that the stop will run as scheduled.
“The series at @HarrahsPompano will run between October 10 – 21, featuring 20 ring events and over $2.5M in total guarantees,” the WSOP wrote in the tweet. “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by Hurricane Milton. Please prioritize your safety, and we hope to see you when conditions allow.”
Pompano Beach is located in South Florida. While the area will likely get some moderate storms from the outskirts of the storm, it is unlikely to be hit as hard as the other coast.
