BRIGHTON SEMINOLE RESERVATION – The Seminole Tribe of Florida and Seminole Gaming broke ground Thursday, Jan. 5, at the site of the future Seminole Casino Hotel Brighton, a new casino, hotel and entertainment complex to be built on the Brighton Seminole Reservation in Glades County. It is projected to open in 2024, less than two years from the start of construction.

“Breaking ground for the new Seminole Casino Hotel Brighton represents a major economic step forward for the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the entire Lake Okeechobee region,” said Marcellus Osceola Jr., Chairman of the Seminole Tribe. “We’re excited to bring a new level of gaming, dining and entertainment to the area, and we look forward to welcoming our current and future guests.”

Seminole Casino Brighton general manager Marty Johns thanked his family, tribe members, the Tribal Council, casino staff and the neighboring communities of Okeechobee, Glades and Highlands counties for their support. “It’s amazing the support we have here in Brighton,” said Johns.
He said they’ve come a long way since the first bingo hall opened in the “Red Barn” in 1980.

The new casino will be built about 3 miles south of the existing casino on Reservation Road (CR 721). It will replace the existing Seminole Brighton Casino. It is one of six casino complexes operated by Seminole Gaming for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

The new Seminole Casino Hotel Brighton will include a casino with a total of nearly 38,000 square feet, including space for 623 slot machines and 18 tables for blackjack, baccarat and other house-banked card games. Included in the totals are 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 steak house with 60 seats and a fast-service and carry-out cafe offering a combination of items from a coffee bar and pizza kitchen. An indoor event space with snack bar can be configured to offer 400 seats for banquet events or bingo games, or 900 seats set up as a performance hall.

Johns said over the years they have looked for ways to improve the casino, such as adding hotel rooms. He said they also wanted to provide more activities for families such as the swimming pool (bigger than the one at the Immokalee casino) and bowling alley.
Johns said the new casino will have a non-smoking gaming area. As you enter the casino, you can turn right and go into the non-smoking area, he explained.

The new casino complex will include the first hotel to be built on the Brighton Seminole Reservation. It will feature 100 guest rooms on four stories, totaling 72,000 square feet. Guest rooms will include a mix of rooms with one king bed and two queen beds, plus three suites and a fitness center.

The Seminole Casino Hotel Brighton will be the fourth Seminole Gaming facility with a hotel. The others are the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.

A pool and amenity deck adjacent to the hotel will offer a 1,500 square foot pool with a built-in sun shelf, plus a 12,500 square foot pool deck with space for 76 chaise lounges, 40 chairs and two cabanas.

An outdoor stage will provide a second entertainment venue at the complex that will accommodate as many as 3,000 guests for concerts, comedy shows or other performances.

In a first for any Seminole Casino, the new Seminole Casino Hotel Brighton will include an 8-lane bowling alley of 8,400 square feet, with 32 seats for dining or events.

A 75-acre site with parking for 1,000 vehicles

The entire Seminole Casino Hotel Brighton complex will be built on a 75-acre site that will also include a 10-acre lake and parking for more than 1,000 vehicles. The new site is located at 15005 Reservation Road, about three miles south of the existing Seminole Brighton Casino.

The site offers space for future expansion of the entertainment complex.
The existing Seminole Brighton Casino is an important destination for dining and entertainment on the Brighton Seminole Reservation, where more than 500 members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida reside. The casino complex also attracts guests from nearby Okeechobee and Highlands Counties, as well as from residential areas around Lake Okeechobee.

Tourists visiting the region for fishing and other outdoors activities are also frequent visitors to the Seminole Brighton Casino. The new casino and hotel complex is expected to increase the number of tourists to the region.

About the Existing Seminole Brighton Casino
The current Seminole Brighton Casino is a 27,000-square-foot casino with over 400 slot machines and eight live table games, including Blackjack and Three Card Poker, along with high-stakes bingo action and Josiah, a full service restaurant and lounge. Local live entertainment is featured weekly on Friday and Saturday nights. The casino also has an area for those who prefer to play slot machines in a smoke-free environment. Its warm and friendly staff, ultra-modern air-conditioning system, clean atmosphere, and rewarding casino promotions are a welcome alternative to big city gaming. The Seminole Brighton Casino is located just west of Lake Okeechobee on the Brighton Seminole Reservation, 17735 Reservation Road, Okeechobee, Florida, 34974. For more information, call toll-free 800-360-9875 or 863-467-9998 or visit online at www.seminolebrightoncasino.com or on www.facebook.com/seminolebrightoncasino.

About Seminole Gaming
Seminole Gaming operates six Florida casinos for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla. Seminole Gaming has long been recognized for its industry innovations and success. It was the first Indian 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.