Highlands Today
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Fun And Gaming
Jasmina Meyer
Shelton Williams, from Lake Placid, enjoys coming out several times a month to Seminole Casino Brighton to play Texas Holdem poker while his wife, Becky Williams, enjoys the slots.
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Published: August 10, 2008
BRIGHTON - In the tiny, remote community of Brighton, the Seminole Casino is the only game in town and - for those who love to play the slots - it has gotten a lot more interesting.
In mid-June, more than 100 Las Vegas-Style Class III slot machines - including Playboy, Lion Dance and Mayan Riches - were unveiled at the casino.
"Every place that the slots have been introduced, the numbers go up because there is a real perception among a lot of people that slots are better," said Gary Bitner, president of Bitner Goodman and spokesman for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. "The reality is they are very much like the Class II machines that existed here. A lot people that know the machines have had their favorites and still play on those."
The tribe doesn't release revenue figures, according to Bitner.
"I will tell you that the numbers are up. They have gone up because people know they are here; we've done a lot of marketing," Bitner said.
There are more titles and games available with slots.
"Because of all the venues around the country and around the world where slot machines are available, manufacturers make more slot machines," he said. "There are more titles and the machines, by virtue of that, tend to look maybe a little flashier (with more) bells and whistles. You will see that and that does make the games more exciting."
The "technical" difference between Class II and Class III machines, Bitner said, is that Class III machines are games people play against the house as opposed to games people play against each other.
There are a total of 243 gaming machines and 10 poker tables in the 27,000 square-foot casino. There are 480 Bingo seats.
Marge Tousignant of Lake Placid likes the slots at Brighton.
"It's more Vegas," she said. "I haven't gone as often as I like to."
Tousignant said she has been to Las Vegas a number of times. She added she traveled there with her husband, Don, a couple of times a year and would stay for several days at a time.
In fact, they drove a motor home from Lake Placid to Las Vegas for their honeymoon.
She noted she didn't go to casinos before marrying Don, who passed away last year.
Shelton and Becky Williams, who also live in Lake Placid, go to the casino once a week. They used to make the trip a couple of days a week.
"I like the slots; he loves the table," Becky said.
Shelton, who is a retired psychologist from Ohio, and Becky moved to Lake Placid in 2000. She said there was "not a whole lot to do" when they came.
Shelton said he enjoys the social interaction and test of skills playing cards.
"In playing cards, the randomness is 20 percent," he said. "The way you play the cards is 80 percent."
The Williams keep a running total of what they spend. Becky said she has a $200 limit.
"She does much better than I do," Shelton said.
Becky is a Red Hatter and she and members of a group called "The Glitter Gals of Brighton" meet at the casino the first Monday of each month to play Texas Hold'em mini tournaments in the poker room and slots in the gaming area.
More Class III machines will soon be arriving at Brighton, bringing the total to about 150.
Brighton has some progressive machines that are linked to other machines around the country. The potential is there for people to win much more money because they are progressive games and people are waging in all these different venues.
"We had a winner in Coconut Creek (in July) that won over $2 million on one of those
progressive slots," he said. "That's a new record for the state of Florida, but my guess is that record is not going to last long because of the potential for people to hit these slot machines at any of the Seminole casinos in Florida."
The federally-approved compact agreement signed by Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminole Tribe in November provides for blackjack, baccarat and other card games at Seminole casinos. However, it is not known when they will be available in Brighton.
The tribe is in a wait and see mode at this point, according to Bitner. There were plans to expand blackjack to several of the tribe's casinos.
"The plan is still tentative and they are really watching and waiting to see how the various legal issues play out," he said.
The only Seminole casino in Florida that has blackjack is in Hollywood.
Bus Service Offered
Niel Matheis, owner/operator of Highlands Charters, makes the trip to Brighton at least six times a week with a 29-passenger bus.
Matheis picks up passengers at the Burger King in south Sebring at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 4:30 at the Lake Placid Publix. On Sunday, the bus leaves Sebring at 11:30 a.m. and Lake Placid at noon. The price is reasonable - $7 per person round trip.
Matheis said 90 percent of the people he takes to Brighton go to play Bingo.
Many go for the social aspect. The age range is 18 "all the way up," he said.
"I've had them in their 90s and they are as sharp as can be,
Matheis plays Bingo and poker.
"I love doing it; I love the people," he said.
The casino opens at 10 a.m. daily.
It is located about seven miles south of State Road 70 on County Road 721 in Glades County.
Other Trips
Rita Dawson has been a licensed tour operator in Florida for five years.
Dawson, who was also a tour operator in Illinois, organizes bus trips to the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa twice a month and to Pearl River in Mississippi.
The trips to Pearl River and Biloxi run for six days and five nights. She said there are two casinos at Pearl River with 2,000 slots in each one. The Class III machines have been in use there for years, according to Dawson.
Most of the people making the trips are women. Many are seniors.
A 35-year-old man recently went to Hard Rock. The fellow passengers joked about the younger man.
"We have a baby," Dawson said.
Reporter Bill Rogers may be reached at 386-5825.
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