Seminole Gaming closes all casinos Florida-wide

Published:
Casino (Seminole Gaming)

Seminole Gaming announced Friday they would be closing all of their casinos, including Hard Rock casinos, across Florida starting at 6 p.m. amid coronavirus concerns

This comes just one day after a man who died from COVID-19 was said to have visited the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee.

Representative Heather Fitzenhagen and an employee at the casino called for the casino to close down after learning this.

“I think that this makes it even more important that they decide to do the right thing and close down the casino for the safety of everyone in Southwest Florida,” she said.

She says the 77-year old man spent hours playing the slots the weekend before he died on March 13.

The casino confirmed Thursday that the man was at the facility on March 3.

It has not been made public where the man contracted coronavirus or where else he may have visited.

In a statement released by the company Friday:

The safety and security of its guests and team members are of the highest priority to the Seminole Tribe, which is especially proud of its team’s response during this difficult time.  The proactive measures put in place allowed Seminole Gaming to operate within the guidelines established by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whom the Seminole Tribe wants to recognize and thank for his ongoing cooperation and leadership.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida and Seminole Gaming are very grateful to our loyal guests and team members.  We look forward to welcoming everyone back soon.

They said the decision was not taken lightly as Seminole Gaming employs nearly 14,000 team members in the state. “The goal has been to protect their livelihood without jeopardizing public safety. We have now reached a point where we do not feel comfortable taking that risk,” the company said.

The closure affects the following locations:

  • Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa
  • Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee
  • Seminole Casino Brighton
  • Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
  • Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
  • Seminole Classic Casino (Hollywood)

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