New Seminole casino hotel complex expected to open next year

On Jan. 5, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Seminole Gaming broke ground on the new casino at the Brighton Seminole Reservation northwest of Lake Okeechobee. It will replace the existing Seminole Brighton Casino, which opened in 1980 about three miles north of the site of the future casino. That's about a 1.5 hour drive from the Treasure Coast.

The new complex will include a nearly 38,000-square-foot casino with 623 slot machines and 18 tables for blackjack, baccarat and other house-banked card games. That includes a smoke-free gaming space with 101 slot machines and a high-limit gaming area with 42 slot machines and four table games.

Dining options will include a 24-hour restaurant with 124 seats, a steakhouse with 60 seats and a fast-service and carryout cafe offering items from a coffee bar and pizza kitchen. It also will have an indoor event space with a snack bar that can be configured to accommodate 400 seats for events or bingo games or 900 seats for a performance hall.

The new complex will include the first hotel on the Brighton Seminole Reservation, making it the fourth Seminole Gaming facility with a hotel. The future 72,000-square-foot, four-story building will offer 100 guest rooms and a fitness center.

It will be the first Seminole Casino to include a bowling alley, which will be 8,400 square feet with eight lanes and 32 seats for dining or events. It also will have a 1,500-square-foot pool with a built-in sun shelf and a 12,500-square-foot pool deck with space for 76 chaise lounges, 40 chairs and two cabanas.

The existing 27,000-square-foot casino has over 400 slot machines and eight live table games, including blackjack and three card poker, along with high-stakes bingo and a full-service restaurant and lounge.

Seminole Gaming operates six casinos for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood. It was the first Native American Tribe in North America to open a high-stakes bingo hall and casino, which debuted in 1979 and became the forerunner of the Indian Gaming movement.

The closest casino to the Treasure Coast used to be Casino Fort Pierce, formerly named Fort Pierce Jai Alai, until it was demolished in July and August 2022.