The Seminole Tribe of Florida that owns Hard Rock International announced on Wednesday that they have acquired the rights to the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. There was a belief that the iconic Hard Rock would be leaving Las Vegas in the near future, but that no longer appears to be the case.
Juniper Capital Partners purchased the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas in 2018, but the purchase price was never disclosed. Juniper has now agreed to sell the rights to the casino and hotel to the Seminole Tribe, but the details of this deal were not disclosed either.
Hard Rock International has been prohibited from developing, licensing, managing, owning or operating any property in Clark County, Nev., for over 30 years. A major debate occurred in the chain during the 1990s, and Hard Rock International has been shut out.
Hard Rock was originally founded in London in 1971 by Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett. The duo eventually sold the Hard Rock operation Rank Group, a UK hospitality and casino company. As a part of that deal, Morton worked to retain naming rights to any locations west of the Mississippi River.
The Seminole Tribe acquired Hard Rock International from the Rank Group in 2006, but they were unable to get the naming rights expanded past the Mississippi. The Seminole Tribe is a leader in the casino industry in the United States, but they were unable to earn naming rights in Las Vegas.
The Seminole Tribe has been working to acquire a property on the strip, and this new agreement will give them control over the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas.
Hard Rock Casinos in Florida May Reopen Soon
Hard Rock International Chairman Jim Allen announced on Wednesday that the Hard Rock casinos in the state of Florida may reopen by the end of May. Hard Rock is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and they are looking to resume business in Florida before exploring reopening in other parts of the country.
The Seminole Tribe has six Hard Rock casinos in the state of Florida, and they have been developing reopening plans for weeks. Casinos were shut down in the state of Florida on March 20 in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Hard Rock is one of the biggest names in the casino industry, and they have properties all over the world. There are 11 domestic and international casinos currently in operation, but the company has a presence in 76 different countries around the world.
Allen believes that Hard Rock casinos in Florida will be flooded with business when they decide to reopen, but experts think otherwise. A recent survey conducted by Pipslay research found that at least 64 percent of Americans believe that the economy should not reopen in May.
Hard Rock International is prepared to help fight the spread of the coronavirus by implementing several new health and safety standards in the casinos. Plexiglass will be installed at all tables to separate the dealers from the gamblers. Seats will also be removed from every table to ensure that there is proper social distancing.
Blackjack tables can have no more than four players, and dividers will be installed. Hand sanitizing stations will be installed throughout the casino, and guests will be encouraged to use them regularly.
Every Hard Rock Casino in the United States will also have temperature screening at each entrance to the casino. This is an extremely costly new safety precaution, but Hard Rock International is doing what it can to abide by state and local health mandates.
