TAMPA, Fla. – 2025 definitely begins with a bang for Floridians who like to gamble with the long-awaited Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel Casino. Even though the new Brighton Bay Hotel Casino Resort near Okeechobee won’t officially open its lobby and pit floors until February, it is already taking reservations through March.
The new Brighton Hotel and Casino replaces the current Seminole-owned site. It is also roughly 40% larger than the current land based casino. For those who love slot games, the new Brighton Hotel and Casino won’t disappoint with more than 600 new slot game options. Don’t worry. For blackjack and table game players, the new Seminole Brighton Casino has an abundance of new table games on the pit floor.
The Seminole Tribe also heavily invested in a hotel component for locals, Tampa players, and other outsiders to room and board. This mammoth, state-of-the-art casino resort is well over 70,000 square feet. Speaking about the hotel rooms, there are over 100 spacious rooms with all the latest amenities for a comfortable stay.
To fill the rooms quickly, the new-and-improved Brighton Bay Hotel Casino offers family-friendly rates for weekdays and weekends. Four deluxe restaurants and an indoor event arena are also included.
The launch of the new Brighton Casino comes when Florida’s Gaming Control Commission continues stepping up efforts to shut down illegal casinos. In December, the FGCC, in cooperation with law enforcement in Brevard and Volusia counties, shut down five suspected illicit casinos.
During the raid, law enforcement confiscated over 500 gaming equipment that are believed to be illegal slot machines and other unlicensed gaming equipment. They also confiscated well over three-quarters of a million dollars in the process, and the vehicle was suspected of moving cash between the illegal gambling operations.
“The cooperative relationships developed between the Florida Gaming Control Commission and our partner law enforcement agencies are essential to fulfill our mission, and these efforts are making an impact,” said Ross Marshman, Acting Executive Director of the Florida Gaming Control Commission. “Through innovative strategies, enhanced resources, and collaboration, these partnerships reflect our dedication to fostering trust and accountability while effectively addressing public safety concerns related to illicit gambling locations.”
The issue of illegal casinos is a prevalent one in Florida. Earlier in 2024, the Florida Gaming Control Commission also partnered with the Port Orange Police Department, which also led to the confiscation of nearly twenty unlicensed slot machines from two local businesses in Port Orange.
FGCC agents and the Port Orange Police Department addressed community concerns receivedby both agencies about two independently owned businesses. More than $6,000 and 19 illegal slot and gaming machines were seized. Three arrests were made for charges of Operating illegal Gambling Establishments and Illegal Possession of Slot Machines and Gaming Devices. The two establishments included:
- Stop & Go Convenience Store, 5687 S. Ridgewood Ave, Port Orange
- Mark and Jill’s Village Tavern, 5263 S. Nova Rd, Port Orange
While Florida still doesn’t offer legal online casinos, it does allow limited forms of retail casino gambling. The Seminole Tribe, which is behind the new Brighton Hotel Casino and the Hard Rock Hotel Casino in the Tampa Area, plays a strong role in managing the legal gambling framework for Florida.
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