In a truly sweet act of "revenge", the Seminole tribe in Florida has bought most of the cafes, hotels and memorabilia of Hard Rock Cafe. The deal is worth close to $1 billion.
So where did the Seminoles come up with that kind of scratch? Why, through their gaming operations, of course. The Seminoles were the first native tribe to start operating gambling casinos.
And if the US government allowed the kanaka maoli to open casinos on DHHL land (instead of prohibiting it in the Akaka Bill), my guess is they would earn enough so that maybe they could make tuition at KSBE free to any kid who was accepted and also have enough to subsidize Hawaiian cultural training in the public schools and do other things for the kanaka maoli without having to sell any more of their land to developers. What a concept.
Miulang
So where did the Seminoles come up with that kind of scratch? Why, through their gaming operations, of course. The Seminoles were the first native tribe to start operating gambling casinos.
The Seminoles were the first U.S. tribe to get into the gambling business in 1979. More recently, they had partnered with Hard Rock in successful hotel, gambling and entertainment complexes in Tampa and Hollywood in tourist-friendly Florida. They now have the ability to expand their gaming interests nationally by partnering with a well-known brand, experts said.
The tribe also will acquire what is said to be the world's largest collection of rock memorabilia, some 70,000 pieces, including Jimi Hendrix's Flying V guitar, one of Madonna's bustiers, a pair of Elton John's high-heeled shoes and guitars formerly owned by Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Chuck Berry.
The deal does not include Hard Rock's Las Vegas casino, however, which is owned by Morgans Hotel Group, or Morgans' rights to Hard Rock intellectual property in Australia, Brazil, Israel, Venezuela and many areas of the United States west of the Mississippi River, a Morgans official said.
The tribe also will acquire what is said to be the world's largest collection of rock memorabilia, some 70,000 pieces, including Jimi Hendrix's Flying V guitar, one of Madonna's bustiers, a pair of Elton John's high-heeled shoes and guitars formerly owned by Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Chuck Berry.
The deal does not include Hard Rock's Las Vegas casino, however, which is owned by Morgans Hotel Group, or Morgans' rights to Hard Rock intellectual property in Australia, Brazil, Israel, Venezuela and many areas of the United States west of the Mississippi River, a Morgans official said.
Miulang
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