Seminole Casinos in Florida Remain Open Even in Areas With High COVID-19 Cases
Posted on: March 17, 2020, 09:43h.
Last updated on: March 17, 2020, 12:44h.
Seminole casinos in Florida remain open for business despite a growing number of positive COVID-19 cases.
All six of the tribe’s casinos in the Sunshine State continue to welcome gamblers, though some health safety measures have been implemented. At Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, certain slot machines have been disabled in order to force “significant distance” between players, and the number of players at each table game has been limited.
The tribe has closed its poker rooms, along with all concerts and conventions. Restaurants are also closing every other table.
Seminole casinos in Florida are currently open and constantly monitoring the coronavirus situation,” said Seminole Hard Rock spokesman Gary Bitner.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida is one of the most powerful Native American communities in the nation. Among its six casinos is Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, where the tribe recently completed its $1.5 billion guitar-shaped hotel.
Pandemic Fears
The Florida Department of Health says there are 173 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, with 558 other people currently being monitored. The majority are located in two southeastern counties: Broward (43 cases) and Miami-Dade (32 cases).
Hard Rock Hollywood, Hollywood Seminole Gaming, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, and Seminole Casino Classic are all located in Broward County. Hard Rock Tampa is located in Hillsborough County, where there’s seven known cases of the deadly coronavirus.
“They need to close that place,” Millie Conard of Tampa told the Tampa Bay Times. Conrad says she visits the casino about once a month to play the slots. Another guest, Michelle Goodwin, said the casino “should close down for the safety of everyone that’s in the community.”
Seminole officials say they won’t, at least for now. Cautionary measures include the elimination of self-service utensils at buffets, and restricting casino team members from working who have recently traveled oversees by providing them with paid time off.
“We have no reports of actual or suspected coronavirus cases among our team members or guests,” Bitner added.
Tribal Power
States across the country are ordering bars and restaurants to close, as well as non-essential businesses, such as casinos. At least 17 states now have at least one casino shut down in wake of the pandemic.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued an order Tuesday that all bars and nightclubs in the state close effective 5 p.m. this evening for 30 days. “We view that as something that could be problematic for spreading the virus. Stealth carriers – people who don’t have symptoms – but they are nevertheless passing along,” the governor explained.
The Seminole casinos do not have to follow the state government’s orders. Since the venues are Native American operations, they come with territorial sovereignty.
However, Connecticut’s two tribes – the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Indians – adhered to their governor’s wishes that they suspend operations at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.
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Last Comments ( 27 )
Wow ....what a lesson in Communist Psychology!!! Do you research and think?... or just operate under fear and emotion? Look at the numbers, do the math. Look objectively....true their have many contradictions...so that should cause questions to the thinker... please start reading...and not your usual drivel.
They had no problem closing all their corporate offices so they don't get the virus but refuse to close down to protect us so we don't get the virus. Close the casino they are thieves......
Wake up Seminoles, a man who visited your Casino every week, recently died of the C virus. At Gulf Coast hospital. He was a homebody, no foreign travel and only outing was your Casino. THINK DEEPLY!!!!!
I guess the Seminoles don't read the news: https://www.nbc-2.com/story/41916926/man-that-died-from-coronavirus-visited-seminole-casino
Best way to handle this, people, is DON'T GO. Let them keep their empty casinos open. I feel for the employees who are exposed each day. Just not right. Southern Florida isn't going to be able to overcome this virus with exposure like this. For the sake of the almighty dollar wonder how many Americans will die. Sad. And to the people who commented you don't have to go, that's true. But the people who do go if they contract the virus they will spread it. Maybe even to their own loved ones. Pitiful.
My thought is stay open because this charade is a politacal scam to destroy the presidntial race and the economy of this country for finacial gains of the higher class people that have nothing to lose.
Nobody is making anyone go. State and government have no power, no control over the Indians. Territorial Sovereignty!!!! You can write to whoever you want to. No State official has power over them, nor the guests that chose to go. Who cares other tribes closed. It was their choice. They don't even compare in size of Seminole Casinos. Seminoles have chosen to remain open. Period.
Respect for the Seminole casinos is disappearing....if they don’t adhere to the common good and directives from our President, many of us will NOT return to their facilities.
No! Its not your choice to go or not, its the people that choose to go and then spread what ever they may contract from there to others that don't go there, take the good with the bad and close your doors for the sake of your future, this way later on you can continue to milk the american public, remember you have sovereignty but your business is built on and dependent on regular american people many of which are seniors, DO THE RIGHT THING AND CLOSE!!!!!
You have no idea Gary Bittner who is coming and going in the casino, nor will you know if they were ill while they’re gambling... be concerned for all, including your employees, instead of the profits.
Why complain now. People were going into the casino before the virus and never said a word. Germs are everywhere if the smoke hasn't killed you why complain now. More people have died from second hand smoke than this virus so stop complaining. Just stay home.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to clean a place like this with the same amount of employees now as before this started? And no the government doesn’t control the seminoles but they control their employees who don’t have a choice. They closed in Atlantic City and are paying those employees but the ones here in Florida try to wash your hands more and see you at work.