Seminole Tribe of Florida and Dozens of Celebrities Usher in a “New Era” in Florida Gaming as Craps, Roulette and Sports Betting Launch with Star-Studded Events at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa
Celebrities at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Include Thomas Rhett, Hulk Hogan, John Daly, Ric Flair, Michael Carbonaro, Lele Pons, Adamari Lopez, Tim Brown, Gente De Zona and Rudy Mancuso
Introduction of new games is a historic milestone that immediately puts Florida in the same league as the world’s great gaming destinations
Editor’s Note: Download high-res images of events at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & CasinoTampa here.
TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Leaders of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and major celebrities have ushered in a “New Era” in Florida Gaming with the launch of craps, roulette and sports betting at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & CasinoTampa.
Advertisement
Thomas Rhett, Hulk Hogan, John Daly, Ric Flair, Michael Carbonaro, Lele Pons, Adamari Lopez, Tim Brown, Gente De Zona and Rudy Mancuso walked the red carpet at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, with many of the celebrities on hand for the first roll of craps dice, the first spin of the roulette wheel and the first retail sports bet.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & CasinoTampa is hosting a combination of events to celebrate the new games, including a Friday night concert by renowned country music performer Thomas Rhett, a Tempo Daylife Pool Party on Sunday with the Chainsmokers, plus a $300,000 high limit table games hot seat promotion for slots and tables Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. and other members of the Seminole Tribal Council, plus Seminole Gaming CEO and Hard Rock International Chairman Jim Allen led a ceremony at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & CasinoTampa to commemorate the start of the new games. Similar first roll and first spin ceremonies were also held at SeminoleCasinos in South Florida, including the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & CasinoHollywood.
The new games were made possible by the Gaming Compact signed and approved by the Seminole Tribe and the State of Florida in 2021. They join blackjack, baccarat and other casino card games, plus thousands of the latest slot machines, to round out a full complement of casino games at all six SeminoleCasinos in Florida.
“The Seminole Tribe of Florida is proud to point to a new era in Florida gaming with the unveiling of our new casino games,” said Chairman Osceola. “With the addition of craps, roulette and sports betting, we now offer a full complement of casino games and we join the ranks of leading casinos around the world.”
“The entertainment, travel and tourism industries, and many more, will see positive economic impact caused by the new casino games,” said Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen. “They will increase tourism to Florida and boost employment not only at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, but also at businesses in the areas surrounding this casino complex and others operated by Seminole Gaming throughout Florida.”
Advertisement
About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & CasinoTampa Owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & CasinoTampa is one of the largest and most successful casinos in the world offering award-winning gaming, hospitality, and entertainment. The casino offers nearly 5,000 of the hottest slot machines; 168 table games, including eight craps tables and 16 roulette tables; dozens of retail sports betting locations including both electronic kiosks and facilities staffed by sports betting agents; a state-of-the-art Poker Room featuring 46 tables; and a smoke-free Mezzanine Level Casino. The 800-room hotel is AAA Four Diamond rated and proudly offers 12 restaurants, including upscale dining venues Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, The Rez Grill, and Cipresso. Amenities include the 1,500-seat Hard Rock Event Center, which hosts some of the nation’s hottest entertainers and must-see concerts; a 60,000-square-foot pool deck area with three pools and 19 cabanas; as well as the luxurious Rock Spa® & Salon. The resort is located off I-4 at North Orient Road and Hillsborough Avenue, about 10 minutes east of downtown Tampa. For more information, please call 866-502-PLAY or visit us online and via Facebook, X and Instagram.
Driving north from southwest Florida, my progress was marked by steadily declining temperatures. Leaving behind sunshine and 75-degree days for snow, sleet, and single digits was a questionable choice at best. Days spent at the beaches of Siesta Key, golfing, hiking in a wildlife-rich state park, and eating seafood dinners outside sure beats shoveling snow and waiting on the dreary days to depart.
OVIEDO, Fla. – Lukas Nursery is ready to help you protect your plants against the big chill heading toward Central Florida this week.
Bri Murray is the assistant sales manager at Lukas Nursery. News 6 asked her to give us tips on the best ways to cover your plants and common mistakes you should avoid.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
“The common mistake that is often made with either frost blankets or covering your plants is ‘Well, I just need to keep the plants warm. I don’t need to keep anything else warm like the trunk,’” said Murray. “Well, the majority of where you’re going to get heat from is actually the ground. So if you entrap the ground with the plant, then the heat from the ground keeps it like a nice circular of insulation inside that frost blanket.”
Advertisement
Murray said one item people should remember when they’re out shopping for frost blankets is pins. The pins are used to secure the frost blanket into the ground and trap heat inside.
“You’re keeping the heat from the ground, like I mentioned before, inside the blanket, which then keeps it warm like a greenhouse,” Murray said.
Murray also says you shouldn’t use plastic tarps or trash bags to protect your plants.
“That typically holds in condensation, which holds in moisture, and again, that’ll freeze your plants,” Murray said. “So using a frost blanket is important because it does allow the plants to ventilate properly and breathe, but keeping it warm and keeping it insulated.”
To see Lukas Nursery’s hours of operation, click here.
Advertisement
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily:
Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
Premier Giorgia Meloni paid a surprise
flying visit to United States President-elect Donald Trump at
his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Saturday.
Meloni, the leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI)
party, arrived in Florida at around 19:30 local time and flew
back to Rome less than five hours later.
“She’s really taken Europe by storm,” Trump said of Meloni
before a group of people at the residence, according to Wall
Street Journal reporter Alex Leary.
Incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present and
called Meloni a “great ally, strong leader”, Leary reported.
The war in Ukraine, gas supplies and possible new US tariffs on
EU goods were among the issues the leaders discussed, sources
said.
The New York Times reported that Meloni also pressed hard about
the case of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist arrested in
Iran, three days after an Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini was
picked up at Milan’s Malpensa airport on US charges of supplying
drone parts used to kill three servicemen in Jordan.
During the visit, Trump showed Meloni a documentary about
alleged fraud in the 2020 US presidential election.