Yesterday and today a job fair being held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa will find as many as 300 new employees for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The first phase of a US$120 million expansion will add 1,100 new gaming machines to a casino floor extended by 50,000 sq ft, and a steak and seafood restaurant. Completion of the first phase is scheduled for next month, hence the job fair.

A second phase of the Tampa Hard Rock expansion, which will add yet another restaurant, should be completed by the end of the year. The venue is already renowned for its quality of food and service, which has probably played a strong role in the Hard Rock maintaining its position as a gambling attraction despite competition from the recently opened Broward County slots operations with Class III jackpot machines. The casino with Class II gaming machines draws as many as 20,000 customers daily.

The new jobs will be for both the casino floor and back of house. Tampa Hard Rock Casino is one of seven operated by the Seminole and the biggest in Florida. A second opportunity for residents of Miami-Dade to vote on slot machine gambling could mean more competition for the Hard Rock venues. Last Tuesday the County Commission added a slots referendum to the Jan. 29 ballot. In 2005 Broward County voted to allow Las Vegas style slot machines at its pari-mutuels but the motion was narrowly defeated in Miami-Dade.

The state of Florida has been ordered to reach a compact with the Seminole Tribe on allowing it to upgrade to Class III gaming machines, as required under federal law. At the end of June the US Department of the Interior gave Governor Charlie Crist a 2-month deadline to reach agreement or face being dealt out of the equation and forfeit any gaming revenue from the lucrative Seminole operations. (E-07.12.07)

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