( (FLORIDA-GAMING-CORP) (BETS) Florida Gaming Corporation opens largest Card Room in Florida
Business Editors
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 1997--Florida Gaming Corporation
(NASDAQ Small Cap-"BETS") announced today the opening of the Crystal
Card Room at its Tampa Jai-Alai and Inter-Track Wagering ("ITW")
facility in Tampa, Fla.
The new Crystal Card Room contains about 12,000 sq. ft. of
gaming space and will begin operation initially with 40 poker tables
with 300 gaming positions. The new room is large enough to
accommodate about 80 tables with 500 gaming positions.
W. Bennett Collett, Chairman of Florida Gaming, states "In the
past year we have visited dozens of card rooms in this country and
abroad. In my opinion, the Crystal Card Room is the most beautiful
card room in the world -- it is the epitome of elegance. We are
looking forward to another substantial source of revenue for our
shareholders."
In May, 1996, the Florida State Legislature enacted legislation
(House Bill 337) which authorized card rooms at all licensed
pari-mutuels in Florida -- Jai Alai Frontons, Dog Tracks, and Horse
Tracks. The card rooms are administered and regulated by the State
of Florida, Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Florida Gaming expects to open another Crystal Card Room at its
Miami Jai-Alai facility before the end of June, 1997. The Miami
Crystal Card Room contains about 15,000 square feet of gaming space
and will begin operations initially with 60 poker tables with 400
gaming positions. The Miami Crystal Card Room can accommodate about
120 poker tables with 800 gaming positions.
Florida Gaming Corporation is the largest JAI-ALAI operator in
the world, with four facilities located at Miami, Tampa, Ft. Pierce,
and Ocala, Florida. These four facilities contain an aggregate of
425,000 square feet of gaming space with 10,000 gaming positions.
The Company offers live Jai-Alai games and Inter-Track Wagering ("ITW")
at all locations, and Card Rooms at the Tampa and Miami facilities.
CONTACT: Florida Gaming Corporation
W. Bennett Collett, 502/589-2000
Timothy L. Hensley, 305/633-6400
or
Barretto Pacific Corporation
Landon Barretto, 206/583-8370
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