Seminole Coconut Creek Casino Cuts Into Unemployment Rate

The Seminole Casino in Coconut Creek is not the largest of the Seminole tribe's casinos in Broward County, but it still is big enough to make a difference in the unemployment rate in Florida. On Wednesday, the casino held a job fair which produced over 800 new jobs for South Florida residents.

Potential employees came from all over the state to try and secure one of the 800 positions the casino was hiring for. The Seminoles are expanding the casino thanks to a new compact last year that allows for blackjack and baccarat at the casino. The compact made the Seminoles the largest gaming outfit in the state.

The Seminoles have had plans to expand the Coconut Creek casino for years, but they have been waiting to make sure that they would be allowed to offer expanded gambling at the facility. Now, the expansion, which will be concluded at the beginning of next year, will include more gaming floor space and a parking garage. The Seminoles are adding over 100,000 square foot of gaming floor space during the expansion.

Wednesday was a long day for the over 4,000 people who turned out to apply and interview for various jobs. Of the thousands in attendance, many have been out of work for over a year. Others are looking for a career change after the recession drained them of their current careers.

"I am a real estate agent, and since the market has dried up, I have been unable to make ends meet," said Cheryl Broger, who was waiting with one of her friends outside the Coconut Creek casino early Wednesday morning. "The gaming industry seems to be the future of South Florida, so if I can get in now, I could make a career out of it. I am excited and nervous at the same time."

Many of the job hopefuls echoed Broger's sentiments. Among the crowd were former construction workers, postal workers, and even people who have worked in the hospitality industry for years.

"I have been a waitress for ten years, but the last two jobs I had I lost because the restaurants closed during the recession," said Betsy Balik. "I almost gave up and changed careers, but with this job fair I saw it as one last opportunity to stay in the hospitality industry. We'll see what happens."

The list of jobs that were open at the casino included waitresses, cashiers, hosts, dealers, cooks, and bartenders. The casino filled many of their positions on Wednesday, with some applicants coming back Thursday for an interview. The casino expects to have all of the positioned filled by the time the expansion project is completed in January.

November 3, 2011
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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