OKEECHOBEE, FL – The new Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino opened its doors following a grand opening celebration featuring a special performance by country music artist John Anderson. The grand opening celebration also showcased a traditional Seminole alligator procession, a symbol of prosperity. The final celebration of the day included a concert by the iconic rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino is one of six casinos owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It is located just west of Lake Okeechobee on the Brighton Seminole reservation. The first four-star resort in the Lake Okeechobee region, it replaces Seminole Casino Brighton, which opened in 1980.
Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino includes a casino with a total of nearly 38,000 sq. ft., including space for 640 slot machines and 18 tables for blackjack, craps, roulette, and other house-banked card games, along with high-stakes bingo action. Included is a smoke-free gaming space with 104 slot machines and a high-limit gaming area with 42 slot machines and four table games.
“This grand opening is a proud moment for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Brighton Seminole reservation, and the entire region,” said Marty Johns, General Manager. “We are excited to welcome guests to a new era of gaming, dining, and entertainment that will enhance tourism and community growth.”
Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino includes the first hotel to open on the Brighton Seminole reservation. It features 100 guestrooms on four floors, totaling 72,000 sq. ft. Guestrooms include a mix of rooms with either one king bed or two queen beds, plus three suites, a fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool with a bar and entertainment stage.
“Today marks a historic moment for the Brighton reservation and the Seminole Tribe of Florida,” said Larry Howard, Seminole Tribe of Florida Brighton Reservation Councilman. “The grand opening of the Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino is not just about a new building – it’s about growth, opportunity, and a bright future for our community. This project represents our commitment to honoring our heritage while embracing progress, and we are proud to welcome guests to experience the hospitality, culture, and excitement that make Seminole gaming truly special.”
The complex features an indoor event space with 400 seats for banquet events or bingo games, or 900 seats set up as a performance hall, as well as a 10-lane bowling alley (Brighton Bay Bowling) of 7,044 sq. ft., a first for any Seminole Casino. Artwork and photography placed throughout the casino and in the hotel chronicle the history and culture of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino has become one of the Lake Okeechobee region’s largest employers with more than 500 team members at the new casino and hotel complex. The resort’s name, Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino, salutes popular sportfishing sites of nearby Lake Okeechobee, where Fisheating Bay is a little more than three miles from the new hotel and casino. Fisheating Bay and Fisheating Creek get their name from the Seminole name recorded on a military map of 1839, Thlothlopopka-Hatchee, translated as “the river where fish are eaten.”
