Both facilities are slightly more than 15 miles from the Hollywood casino. That provision was seen by some as a favor by Florida Republicans to Donald Trump and his golf resort in Doral, and to Jeffrey Soffer, the billionaire real estate mogul whose family owns the Fontainebleau. As part of the agreement, the tribe said it would not oppose new casinos more than 15 miles from the tribe’s gambling hubs in the Hollywood area, including the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Ron DeSantis with the Seminole Tribe of Florida said the tribe could offer online sports betting across the state.
In 2021, a $500 million deal negotiated by Gov. “It’s an existential threat to our community,” said Dan Gelber, the mayor of Miami Beach until last month and a longtime anti-gaming advocate. The proposal set off alarm bells for gaming opponents who have sought to block the introduction of gambling to new areas of South Florida, including by opposing a casino at the Fontainebleau Hotel and Resort in Miami Beach.
