The Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino is one step closer to being done. The new casino is scheduled to open early next year.
The Seminole Tribe held a ceremony earlier this week to honor the final steel beam placed on the structure. In the “topping out ceremony,” construction members hoisted a ceremonial tree, a signed steel beam, and flags of the U.S., Seminole Tribe of Florida, and the State of Florida toward the complex as a centerpiece of Tuesday’s event.
The tribe controls most of the Florida gambling landscape. It owns six brick-and-mortar casinos, the only legal sportsbook in the Florida sports betting market, and will have exclusivity of a future Florida online casino industry.
Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino will replace the existing Seminole Casino Brighton. The property, which opened in 1980, is located near Lake Okeechobee.
New resort will feature historic hotel
The new resort is nearly 38,000 square feet in size. The gaming area will include 640 slot machines and 18 tables for blackjack, craps, roulette, and other house-banked card games.
Those totals include a smoke-free gaming space with 104 slot machines and a high-limit gaming area with 42 slot machines and four table games.
The complex will include the first hotel built on the Brighton Seminole Reservation. It will feature 100 guest rooms in a four-story building, totaling 72,000 square feet, with a mix of one king bed and two queen bedrooms, along with three suites and a fitness center.
The new resort will offer plentiful food options. It includes a 24-hour restaurant, a steakhouse restaurant, and two convenience-oriented options: a coffee bar and pizza kitchen.
Lastly, casino will feature a plethora of entertainment options away from the gaming floor. This includes a 900-seat performance venue which can also be used as a 400-seat space for banquet events or bingo games. It will also include a 7000-square-foot, 1o-lane bowling alley.
Seminole execs express excitement over future opening
Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming and Chairman of Hard Rock International, said,
“Today is an exceptional day. A vision has truly become a reality as we placed the final beam atop this new property. I thank everyone involved in this project, from the designers and engineers to the day-to-day laborers that are showing the world what the Seminole Tribe is truly about – unconquered vision, unparalleled service and unlimited future.”
Marty Johns, General Manager of the new complex, added,
“Today’s ceremony marks a special moment for the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Brighton Seminole Reservation. We can’t wait to open our doors. The new casino and hotel complex is expected to increase the number of tourists to the region, which is very important.”
The tribe broke ground on the new complex in January 2023. They originally projected to complete the project by the end of the year. It will join the five other Seminole-owned casinos in the Sunshine State, which include:
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
- Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood
- The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa
- Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
- The Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee