Posted on Sat, Oct. 06, 2007
With lavish new casinos, South Florida is the new Sin City
By DANIEL CHANG
South Florida's gaming scene has taken some big strides since the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino kick-started things with its opulent digs in 2004.
Las Vegas-style slots arrived in Broward County last November and cued a glitzy transformation for its fading pari-mutuels.
This summer, Florida law expanded gambling even further: Casinos can stay open 18 hours a day during the week and 24 hours on weekends, up from 16 hours every day. Casinos also can have as many as 2,000 slot machines, up from an earlier cap of 1,500.
Poker rooms now allow higher betting limits and soon pari-mutuels will offer tournament jackpots similar to the Seminole casinos' popular "Bad Beat" progressive jackpot.
Maximum betting limits for poker have been raised to $5, from $2; and casinos now can offer No Limit Texas Hold `em non-tournament games, with a $100 buy-in cap. Re-buys are allowed.
Lately, the prospect for even more gaming has surfaced. Voters in Miami-Dade County, who rejected Las Vegas-style slots at pari-mutuels in 2005, will get another round at the same question in January.
Casinos in Broward already offer Miami-Dade residents a look at what may come.
Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino and the Mardi Gras Race Track and Gaming Center (formerly Hollywood Greyhound Track), both in Hallandale Beach, have opened "racinos" - combined tracks and gaming rooms that downplay the old staples of horse and greyhound racing while raising the profile of slot machines and card games like poker, Omaha and Seven Card Stud.
The Isle Casino and Racing in Pompano (formerly Pompano Park Harness Track) debuted a $160 million casino in April, while Dania Jai Alai expects to complete a $200 million casino complex in late 2008.
The three Seminole casinos in Broward offer 24-hour gaming, progressive jackpots and permit smoking in their game rooms (it's banned in casinos not on Indian reservations). Their slot machines (called Class II) are actually bingo-based video gaming machines where players wager against each other instead of the house.
The Class II slot machines differ from Las Vegas-style slots, available at Broward's racinos, where you bet against the house. The odds may not differ greatly, but the jackpots for Class II games aren't as lucrative. Payouts for Class II slots are uncertain, however, because the Seminole Tribe does not have to report those figures, nor do they have to abide by state-mandated 85 percent minimum payout rates.
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SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO
The palace that bingo built is the biggest, brightest and busiest casino in South Florida. That was true even before it gained worldwide notoriety as the place where Anna Nicole Smith died in room 607 in February (though her room has been renovated and renumbered).
Not many casinos can attract a crowd that doesn't care about gambling, but Hard Rock has made itself a destination, stocked with bars, restaurants, a spa, live music and the Seminole Paradise complex next door, which offers yet more restaurants, nightclubs, shops and a concert venue.
Of course, the place wouldn't be as successful without the gaming, and there's lots of it, with 2,400 Class II video gaming machines and 48 poker tables dealing cash games, Sit-N-Go (10 players), and multi-table tournaments. Seminole casinos also offer progressive "Bad Beat" jackpots for card players.
If you're down on your luck, check out the 600 pieces of rock `n' roll memorabilia displayed throughout the hotel, casino and restaurant. The collection is akin to a museum of popular culture.
Address: One Seminole Way, Hollywood
Phone: 954-327-7625
Hours: Open 24 hours every day
Admission: Free
Parking: Free, valet available. Be warned, parking is scarce on weekend nights.
Gaming: Class II video gaming machines, poker
Clientele: High rollers, hipsters out for a good time, office jocks on the way home from work, older couples, seniors, tourists and everyone in between. The crushing crowds are probably the greatest drawback.
Specials: Seminole Players Club awards one point for every dollar spent on a video gaming machine. Points can be redeemed for meals, drinks, merchandise and invitations to special events. Members are also eligible for monthly cash and prize drawings. Seminole Hard Rock's Lucky Swipe promotion allows you to swipe your card every day for a chance to win cash and merchandise, free machine play and Players Club points. Players Club cards are transferable at each of the three Broward Seminole casinos.
What else: Hard Rock Cafe, Blue Plate restaurant and Council Oak Steaks and Seafood restaurant all serve a full menu. Constant Grind Coffee Shop; lobby bar and casino center bar have regularly scheduled live entertainment. The Beach Club poolside restaurant serves lunch, dinner and happy hour cocktail specials. Next door to the casino, the Seminole Paradise complex is a Downtown Disney-style promenade with restaurants, nightclubs, shops, the Seminole Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and Okalee Village, plus Hard Rock Live, a 5,500-seat entertainment arena.
Web: seminolehardrockhollywood.com
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SEMINOLE CASINO HOLLYWOOD
The Indian casino that started as a modest bingo hall in 1979 doesn't look like much in the shadow of the Seminole Hard Rock next door. But it's where no-nonsense gamblers come to play away from the bright lights and big crowds.
Sure, the place is smoky (though there's no smoking at the card tables) and shopworn - the poker chips sometimes stick together from overuse - but it feels comfortable and familiar.
You're likely to run into the same cast of characters in the casino, either sitting next to you at one of the 850 video gaming machines that range from a nickel to $10 a spin or playing poker at one of the 29 tables that feature cash and Sit-N-Go (10 players), and multi-table tournaments. Seminole casinos also offer progressive "Bad Beat" jackpots for cardplayers.
With an 875-seat high-stakes bingo room that still draws players day and night, and a 50-seat Lightning Bingo room, there isn't much a casino gambler can't play here.
Address: 4150 N. State Road 7, Hollywood
Phone: 954-961-3220
Hours: Open 24 hours every day
Admission: Free
Parking: Free
Gaming: Class II video gaming machines, poker, bingo
Clientele: Seniors, deliverymen on break, generally a working class vibe.
Specials: Seminole Players Club.
What else: A full-service bar, two delis and an all-you-can-eat buffet serving lunch and dinner.
Web: seminolehollywoodcasino.com
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SEMINOLE COCONUT CREEK
The newly remodeled Seminole Coconut Creek shoots for Hard Rock redux _ only without the rock `n' roll memorabilia, and on a smaller scale. There's swanky decor, crowned by a 20-foot, illuminated glass sculpture over the atrium, a theme restaurant and a nightclub aimed at a younger clientele with live music and DJs, a VIP room and a full cocktail bar.
During the day, mostly seniors and middle-aged women ply the 1,500 video gaming machines while men gravitate to the upstairs card room. After work, office types do happy hour in the lounge or on the casino floor alongside suburban locals and other regulars.
The upstairs poker room is smoke free, but players may feel cramped trying to navigate the small space packed with 15 tables dealing cash games and "Sit-N-Go" (10 player) and multi-table tournaments.
Card players _ except for those playing multi-table tournaments or Seven Card Stud - are eligible for the progressive "Bad Beat" jackpot. Gaming machines range from a nickel to $25 a spin.
Address: 5550 NW 40th St., Coconut Creek
Phone: 954-977-6700
Hours: Open 24 hours every day
Admission: Free
Parking: Free
Gaming: Class II video gaming machines, poker
Clientele: Well-to-do suburbanites, seniors, tourists and working-class gamblers
Specials: Seminole Players Club. What else: Fresh Harvest restaurant features live cooking stations and a French market motif. For those who want to dance, there's Nectar, a hipster martini lounge and nightclub with live music and DJ booth.
Web: seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com
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GULFSTREAM PARK RACING AND CASINO
The first Broward race track to install Las Vegas-style slots caught a lot of flak from traditionalists who complained that the new $165 million casino, opened in 2006, overshadowed the thoroughbreds.
Truth is, there's still plenty of giddy-up here. Walk up to the front entrance on a race day, and the majestic thoroughbreds are still paraded before post time. What's more, a portion of the profits gained from Gulfstream's slots are funneled into racing purses. You don't hear traditionalists complaining about that.
Inside the two-story casino, dim lights, a 13,000-gallon floor-to-ceiling aquarium and the cacophony of ringing slots don't bring thoroughbreds to mind as much as scream Las Vegas.
Gulfstream's roughly 1,200 machines range from a penny to $100 per spin, and they pay out an average of 90 percent, or $90 for every $100 that players deposit in them. (Of course, individual payouts will vary.) About 45 video poker machines are also part of the mix.
The Sport of Kings Poker and Racing Lounge on the second floor blends racing, poker and a sports bar in one location. So while card players play Texas Hold `em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Seven-Card Stud on 20 tables, they can also wager on simulcast or live racing and order food and drink.
Address: 901 S. Federal Hwy., Hallandale Beach
Phone: 954-454-7000
Hours: Live thoroughbred racing runs January through April, with gates opening at 11:30 a.m. for a post time of 12:45 p.m. for most races. Simulcasts begin at 6 p.m. daily and run through about midnight. Casino opens 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily. Poker room opens 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. everyday.
Admission: Free
Parking: Free, self or valet
Gaming: Live and simulcast thoroughbred racing, Las Vegas-style slot machines, poker.
Clientele: Crowd ranges from genuine high rollers with gaudy jewelry and expensive threads (usually found trackside) to retirees on fixed incomes and regular Joes gambling their paychecks.
Specials: Good Luck Players Club program awards points for wagers on slots, poker or thoroughbred racing. Points can be redeemed for Bonus Play; comps such as meals, show tickets for concerts and special events, or for race betting.
What else: Diner and deli, sports lounge, all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Live concerts by popular bands once a month; live music in Breezeway Bar on Fridays and Saturdays, DJ Mondays and Wednesdays. Smoke free.
Web: gulfstreampark.com
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MARDI GRAS RACE TRACK AND GAMING CENTER
Time was when the former Hollywood Greyhound Track packed `em in for the races. Now, the casino and card room draw the crowds - and the dogs, with 15 races a night, leave plenty of open seats in the grandstand.
From the entrance on into the casino floor, the Mardi Gras theme is aggressively present - from placards and large, colorful statues of jesters and masks to Bourbon Street-style restaurants and bead patterns on the carpet.
Though Mardi Gras executives estimate they spent $50 million to retrofit the former Hollywood Greyhound Track for slots, the low-ceilinged casino feels cramped. And the flashing lights, bells and sirens from 1,147 slot machines can overwhelm the senses.
But you've come to play, and play you will. Here, you'll find nearly 500 different slot machine titles - Monopoly, Blazing 7s, Double Diamond - and the action costs as little as a penny or as much as $25 a pull.
On the second floor, a poker room and simulcast area offer respite from the chaos downstairs. Card players will find about 30 tables dealing Texas Hold `em cash games and Sit-N-Go tournaments daily.
Address: 831 N. Federal Hwy., Hallandale Beach
Phone: 954-924-3200
Hours: Live racing daily, post time 7:35 p.m. Casino opens 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily. Poker room opens noon to midnight daily. Simulcast pari-mutuel wagering 11:30 a.m. to midnight daily.
Admission: Free
Parking: Free, valet service available
Gaming: Live greyhound racing; simulcast greyhound, thoroughbred and harness racing; Class III slot machines and poker.
Clientele: During the day, buses shuttle in the core clientele - seniors - from area hotels, apartments and condo complexes. At night, mostly middle management and working class stiffs come out to play slots, poker and bet on the dogs.
Specials: Players Club program awards points for wagers on slots and greyhound racing. Points redeemable for prizes.
What else: Bourbon Street Bistro and Cafe Orleans serve Creole Cajun fare, such as gumbo, po' boy and muffuletta sandwiches, crawfish etouffee and Jambalaya. Outdoor flea market opens Friday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Adoption program for retired greyhounds available. Nonsmoking.
Web: playmardigras.com
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ISLE CASINO & RACING AT POMPANO PARK
Unlike the Mardi Gras, Pompano Park built a casino in anticipation of slots, rather attempting to fit all into the existing grandstand and clubhouse.
As a result, Pompano Park feels like a pleasant step through a time warp. On one side of the vast park is the faded glory of its grandstand _ a 1960s-era monument to harness racing with its wide stairwells, expansive viewing areas, long rows of betting windows and banks of television sets everywhere you turn.
Next door to the grandstand - and connected by a paved, covered walkway - stands a swanky, two-story casino that opened in April and feels like High Roller City, with towering glass columns, waterfalls, two bars and a floor chock full of 1,500 slots and video poker machines (starting at 2 cents a play, so you don't actually have to be a high roller).
The Isle offers a variety of games for slots aficionados, from the ever-popular Wheel of Fortune, to the Hot Hot Super Jackpot, Double Double Bonus, Cash Man and Hot Hot Penny.
A 34-table card room on the second floor offers a variety of games, from Texas Hold `em to Razz and Seven Card Stud. Next to the card room is a graceful nod to Pompano Park's past: betting windows and 650 stadium-style seats that face the harness track.
Address: 1800 SW Third St., Pompano Beach
Phone: 954-972-2000
Hours: Live racing begins at 7:25 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, February through December. Racing area closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Casino opens 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. Card room opens noon to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Admission: Free
Parking: Free
Gaming: Live harness racing, simulcast thoroughbred and harness racing and jai-alai, slots and video poker machines, and poker. Average payout rate for slots is 92 percent.
Clientele: High rollers mix with middle-management types and retirees at the swanky casino; a generally middle-aged and older male crowd in the grandstand.
Specials: Isle One, a benefits card that allows gamblers to rack up points, which can be redeemed in the restaurants or gift shop. Signup is free, and members can progress into higher stages for greater benefits.
What else: Six restaurants serve up a seven-station buffet, steaks and chops, Italian and deli fare. Fling, a nightclub, features dancing, drinking and nine hanging projection screens. Smoke free.
On the Web: theislepompanopark.com
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MICCOSUKEE RESORT & GAMING
Smaller and older than the Seminole Hard Rock, the Miccosukee Resort nonetheless offers the best casino experience in Miami-Dade _ even with its outdated video pull-tab and lotto machines.
More than 1,400 of these machines line the small casino floor, flashing titles like Super Pick Lotto, Cyberdyne and Lucky Tab II (which tempts long-shot junkies with the chance to win $5,000 for a $1 bet).
Players bet a range from 5 cents to $10 to play these electronic games. With pull-tab machines, players open blue tabs that cover pictures on the screen, while lotto machines offer players the chance to bet on a range of numbers.
The High-Stakes Bingo Hall calls games until 3 a.m. daily and the card room fields more than 50 tables dealing Omaha Hi-Low, Texas Hold `em and Seven Card Stud, with Sit-N-Go and multi-table Texas Hold `em tournaments scheduled daily.
The resort offers a spa, three restaurants, child-care service, an arcade, an indoor pool and other activities. There's also live music, boxing and other entertainment for those who don't gamble.
Address: 500 SW 177th Ave., Miami
Phone: 305-925-2555
Hours: Open 24 hours, every day
Admission: Free
Parking: Free
Gaming: Video pull-tab machines, poker, bingo
Clientele: Middle-aged locals and retirees gravitate toward the machines and bingo while a mostly male crowd plays poker.
What else: Three restaurants, including the Empeeke Cheke, which serves a full menu daily from 6 to 11 p.m.; a buffet restaurant with moderate prices serving from 6 a.m. to midnight; and a 24-hour deli and coffee shop. Live music in the Cypress Lounge and Martini Bar; sports bar vibe in the Gator Bar, open daily from 11:30 am until 1 am. Boxing, live music and shows in the 2,000-seat Entertainment Dome. Web: miccosukee.com
