The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which took the first bold step into Native American gaming back in 1979, has once again made history with a deal to purchase Hard Rock Cafe International from British leisure firm Rank Group. While this isn’t the first non-gambling business to go tribal, its $965 million price tag is by far the largest.
The Seminoles opened the first high-stakes bingo hall on a reservation and won subsequent legal challenges that allowed other American Indian tribes to follow their lead. According to the National Indian Gaming Commission, tribal gaming revenues have reached $22.6 billion, up from $5.5 billion 10 years ago. Some 200 tribes (of about 560 in the US) operate more than 350 gambling facilities.
Other tribes that have made names for themselves in the gaming industry include the Mashantucket Pequot and the Mohegan, which operate two of the largest casinos in the world. The economic power of Native Americans is growing in other ways, too, as tribes diversify into sports teams, bottled water, and supermarkets.
The Hard Rock deal includes 124 Hard Rock Cafes, four hotels, two casino hotels, two concert venues, and the world’s largest collection of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia (including Hendrix’s guitar and a Madonna bustier), plus the Hard Rock brand. And this is not the end of the tribe’s ambitions. The Seminoles plan to use the purchase as a stepping-stone for expanding their gambling operations. The tribe already licenses the Hard Rock brand for two of its hotel casinos in Florida.
So the Hard Rock, which was “anti-established” in 1971 by two Americans in London and has grown into a symbol of American culture, has come back into American hands. Its slogan “Love all, Serve all” seems to me to be the perfect addition to the Seminole’s portfolio. The tribe’s history of never surrendering was aptly reflected in Florida Seminole vice chairman Max Osceola’s statement when the deal was announced: “We’re going to buy Manhattan back one hamburger at a time.”
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