It doesn't matter how you look at it: with conservative Republican blue rinse eyes, envy green cruiser operator's or through rose tinted champagne pink lenses. The gaming tables opened yesterday at the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida and they're there to stay. As we make our way to Las Vegas for G2E 2008, we'll make a historic detour to sample live gaming at the Seminole Tribe's mini Las Vegas emporium.

In what the industry calls a 'soft opening', 104 blackjack and Baccarat tables started dealing cards to bets that ranged from US$10-500 from 5am yesterday morning. As the crab sun started to show up on the Gulf of Mexico horizon, the joyous surprise that some Seminole casino patrons enjoyed was compounded by the bile in the gullet of the Republican lawmakers, who have tried to use the courts to block additional gambling at Florida tribal casinos.

Jim Allen, chief executive of gaming operations for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, said: "This is an historic day for the tribe. We are incredibly excited. We are creating more than 1,000 new jobs here." Allen added that the Seminole nation is 'looking forward to revisiting issues with state officials', but declined to provide details of the tribe's next steps.

Republican legislators and bible pushing religious organizations from South Florida have challenged the compact signed by Gov. Charlie Crist last year that enabled the Seminole casinos to install casino table games. The compact will provide the state of Florida with at least US$100 million annually for 25 years as a share of gaming revenue both from Las Vegas-style slot machines added to the Hard Rock casinos this year and the new live blackjack and Baccarat games. (E-11.14.08)

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