Blackjack spreading across Seminole casinos
Blackjack, baccarat and other new card games will begin June 22 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood, Fla., as the Seminole Tribe continues to expand its offerings under a revenue-sharing agreement signed by Florida 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 agreement requires that the tribe pay the state a minimum of $100 million annually in exchange for permission to offer the new games.
