Competitor filed lawsuit againts Hollywood casino
Blackjack and baccarat are among the table card games now available at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
One of the hotel’s competitors, the Isle Casino in Pompano Beach, filed a lawsuit earlier this month alleging the games and a compact with Gov. Charlie Crist allowing them are illegal.
The Pompano casino says the agreement between the state and U.S. Interior Department violates the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which allows tribes to play only those games already authorized in Florida.
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino unveiled 71 new card tables, including about 55 for blackjack. The rest are divided among mini-baccarat, pai gow, Let It Ride and Three Card Poker. Bets up to $10,000 can be made in a special high-limit room.
The first blackjack deal Sunday evening was accompanied by bursts of confetti and loud puffs of white smoke.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida had sought the Vegas-style games at its casinos in the state for 17 years before signing a compact in November with Gov. Charlie Crist.
A tribe spokesman says thousands of people packed the casino for the first blackjack deals. Among them were actress Carmen Electra and “The Sopranos” cast members Frank Vincent and Lorraine Bracco.
