Seminole Gaming – the gaming operations of Florida’s Seminole Tribe – has announced the appointment of Andrew Saunders as vice president of entertainment.
In his new role, Saunders will oversee live entertainment at the six Seminole Gaming venues in Florida, including the Hard Rock Live venue at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood and the Seminole Centre venue at the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee.
This will involve the structuring of entertainment at Seminole Gaming venues and liaising with finance, production and ticketing partners.
Saunders has over a decade of experience, including his most recent roles in booking positions for AEG at Staples Centre in Los Angeles.
In addition, he held the role of booking director for Los Angeles’ Venue Coalition, managing 70 arenas and 16 theatres across North America.
“Andrew Saunders joins Seminole Gaming with a wealth of entertainment experience and will be instrumental in advancing live events and entertainment opportunities,” said Keith Sheldon, president of entertainment for Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International.
“As our extensive schedule of concerts and events gains even more momentum, Saunders will identify additional one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences for our guests.”
The Seminole Tribe may soon be permitted to take sports bets at its Florida casinos. A bill to approve a tribal compact allowing sports wagering in Florida was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in May, after it was approved by Florida legislature. The bill now must be approved by the Department of the Interior, but faces questions over provisions allowing for statewide online betting.
Last month, two US congressmen proposed a federal bill that would define all betting taking place on tribal ground servers as tribal betting, meaning that it would be regulated as such. If passed, the bill could expel all legal challenges against the Florida-Seminole bill.
Also in July, Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International pledged to donate funds to the Champlain Towers Southdisaster relief efforts in Surfside, Florida.