The Seminole people were among the first to settle in Florida, with the tribe already long established by the time the Spanish arrived. While the Seminole Tribe did not exist as a political entity until the Tribe was federally recognized in 1957, the tribal history extends back for many thousands of years. They originally existed as many hundreds of separate tribes connected through the Maskókî language.
In 1957, the Seminole Tribe gained official recognition from the US Government, with a constitution forged between them.
The first enterprise launched by the Seminole Tribe was a smoke shop in 1977, shortly before a high-stakes bingo hall in Hollywood in 1979. This was a national first and helped pave the way for tribal gaming operations across the US as a whole.
The current Tribal Council of the Seminole Tribe is comprised of Marcellus W. Osceola Jr, Chairman; Holly Tiger, Vice Chairwoman; Christopher Osceola, Hollywood Councilman; Mariann Billie, Big Cypress Councilwoman and Larry Howard, Brighton Councilman.
The Seminole Tribe entered the international stage when it acquired the Hard Rock International brand from The Rank Group in March, 2007. The deal was signed for $965m, one of the largest purchases from any Tribe at the time.
Arguably the most iconic Hard Rock venue, the Seminole Tribe was involved with its first Hard Rock property before the acquisition. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood was opened on May 1, 2004. The $279m project had a special inaugural event, which included a performance by Huey Lewis & The News.
The iconic guitar-shaped building was part of a $1.3bn expansion project that was completed in 2019. In addition to the Gibson-inspired structure, the renovation also included almost 1,000 rooms, a 42,000-square-foot (3,900 m2) "Rock Spa" and dozens of hospitality and nightlife venues.
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood venue hosts 2,700 slots, nearly 200 table games and a dedicated poker room with over 40 tables. The games available at the venue include blackjack, baccarat, mini-baccarat, Pai Gow poker, Let It Ride and three-card poker.
The venue where it all began - the original bingo hall that opened in 1979. The Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood has since been renovated to host over 900 slot machines, table games and poker.
The venue is about half a mile from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, and also hosts a range of entertainment and restaurant services.
Originally built as a Four Points Sheraton Hotel, the Seminole Tribe later renovated the property to become Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. The new venue was re-opened in 2003, with the hotel opening the next year. The venue has expanded several times, in both 2007 and 2012, following changes in Florida Legislature that allowed the Seminole Tribe to offer more games at the casino.
The casino has over 5,000 slot machines and 110 table games on the property. There’s also a pool, fitness center and restaurants. In 2019, a 14-story hotel tower was added to the property.
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek offers players 2,200 slot games and 75 live table games. In addition, there are 28 tables of live poker at the property. There is also a dedicated non-smoking area, Coco’s Smoke-Free Pavilion, which features 300 slots and eight live table games.
Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee has 1,400 slots and 41 live table games, including Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Blackjack Switch and Spanish 21.
The casino also homes the Seminole Center, an arts and entertainment venue that holds both indoor and outdoor events.
Opened in 1980 as one of the Seminole Tribe’s first casino properties, Seminole Casino Brighton now has over 400 slots and a range of table games. It also has a high-stakes bingo hall.
The Seminole Tribe currently runs five businesses from the Big Cypress Reservation, including the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, the Big Cypress Rock Mine, the Junior Cypress Rodeo and Entertainment Complex, the Big Cypress RV Resort and the Big Cypress Citrus Grove.
There are two non-gaming operations at the Brighton Reservation, the Brighton RV Resort and The Brighton Citrus Grove.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood won both Land-Based Operator of the Year and Property of the Year in 2020.
