An $800 million deal between Jeffrey Soffer’s Fontainebleau Development and Brookfield Property Partner’s Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood was called off on May 8 as the effects of COVID-19 on South Florida’s hotel and tourism industries continues to cause havoc. The 1,000 room Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood, located at 3555 South Ocean Drive in Hollywood, FL, is the second largest hotel in South Florida following Soffer’s 1,600 room Fontainebleau Miami Beach, whose $975 million CMBS loan entered special servicing in March 2020. Fontainebleau Development is reportedly still in discussions with Brookfield Property Partners and may revisit the acquisition in the future.

Largest Casino In South Florida Casinos
South Florida Casinos Locations
Casinos In South Florida

The Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood was first marketed for sale in January 2019 asking $1 billion, $1 million per room. Brookfield Property Partners, which is the real estate division of the Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management, acquired the hotel for $460 million in 2014 and rebranded the flag from a Westin hotel to a Curio Collection by Hilton. In 2017 Brookfield completed a $100 million renovation and in September 2019 led a $168 million refinancing of the hotel with the funding provided by Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo.

Big Easy Casino
Location	Hallandale Beach, Florida, U.S.
Address	831 N. Federal Highway
Opening date	December 1, 1934
Theme	New Orleans
Total gaming space	70,0000+ square feet
Notable restaurants	Louie's Lounge Cafe Orleans The French Quarter The Mezz Grill
Owner	Jeffrey Soffer
Previous names	Mardi Gras Casino Hollywood Greyhound Track Hollywood Kennel Club
Renovated in	2015 2006 1974 1940
Website	thebigeasycasino.com

The Big Easy Casino, formerly known as Mardi Gras Casino and Hollywood Greyhound Track, is a casino and formerly a greyhound racing facility located in Hallandale Beach, in the U.S. state of Florida. The casino features over 900 slot machines, virtual table games, free to enter poker tournaments, and nightly entertainment.^[1]

One of South Florida's most storied gambling venues, Hialeah Park opened to the public in 1922, when it was known as the Miami Kennel Club. Back then, the spot was little more than a. Gold City Casino Online. Casinos Card Playing Rooms. South Florida Area.

Casino Games- All casino games except Craps and Roulette can be played at all legal casinos in Florida. A casino boat Florida is the only full casino that is allowed all types of casino gambling Live Poker Games – since the maximum bet for poker was raised to $100 from the paltry $2 in 2008, poker games have flourished at tribal casinos.
List of casinos in the U.S. State of Florida; Casino City County State District Type Comments Big Easy Casino: Hallandale Beach: Broward: Florida: Racino: Calder Casino & Race Course.
The Casino at Dania Beach. Dania Beach Blvd., Dania Beach; 844-794-6244; casinodaniabeach.com. Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.

History[edit]

Historic Aerial Photograph of Hollywood Grayhound (Mardi Gras Casino) in 1940

What is now the Big Easy Casino opened as the Hollywood Kennel Club on December 1, 1934, three years after Florida legalized parimutuel betting.^[2] A grandstand was added in 1940. In 1974, the facility was reopened as Hollywood Greyhound Track.^[3]

A November 2004 statewide referendum allowed Broward County voters to decide whether to allow slot machines at parimutuel facilities located in the county.^[4] Broward County voters subsequently approved the use of slots at Hollywood Greyhound and other parimutuels.

An extensive renovation project in 2006 added approximately 1,100 slot machines and a poker room to the dog track, which was renamed Mardi Gras Casino.^[5] Two years later, an additional 200 slot machines were added and, in 2009, the Big Easy Poker Room was relocated and expanded. Also included in the renovated facility were a flea market, several restaurants/bars, and a gift shop.^[6]

In 2015, the casino made further improvements, which included widening the aisles and opening up Louie's Lounge to the entire casino floor.^[7]

In 2017, the facility was closed for two months because of damage from Hurricane Irma.^[8]

In 2018, Jeffrey Soffer, owner of the Fontainebleau Hotel, purchased the Mardi Gras Casino from Hartman & Tyner, and renamed it as the Big Easy Casino.^[9]^[10]^[11]

Casino[edit]

The casino offers over 70,000 square feet of gaming space, including over 900 slot machines,^[12] virtual roulette and blackjack,^[13] as well as The Dog Pound, Mardi Gras’ smoker-friendly slot area; simulcast and greyhound racing.

The Big Easy Poker Room, offers over 30 tables of Texas Hold 'em, 7 Card Stud, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo. The casino offers low and high limit tables in an effort to accommodate beginner and experienced players.

There are also nightly, free to enter poker tournaments^[14] that can be entered and tracked through the Bravo Poker Mobile App.

Krewe Club[edit]

The Krewe Club is the casino's membership program. Anyone over 21 can become a Krewe Club member, and will receive $25 bonus play when signing up. The Krewe Club is a tiered membership program that includes purple, gold, black, and platinum levels. As club members play in the casino, they earn points that enable them to move up from purple, to gold, to black, and eventually to the invitation only platinum card. Each level gives the card-holder more exclusive benefits, ranging from free valet service to complementary tickets to on-site concerts and events.

Greyhound Racing[edit]

Despite improvements and enhancements over the years, the dog track itself remained relatively the same over the course of its use. Track specifics included:

Track Length: 1,372 Feet
Track Width: 22 Feet
Length of Stretch: 300 Feet
Composition: Sand and Marl
Timing: Hundredth of a Second
Courses: 550 Yards, 660 Yards and 770 Yards

The last day of racing was held on May 5, 2018. The casino, which is a supporter of the Adopt-A-Greyhound program, still offers simulcast greyhound racing, harness and thoroughbred racing from tracks across the United States and Canada.

Notable Races[edit]

The track is home to four stakes races:

Mardi Gras Futurity.
$75,000 Mardi Gras World Classic.
$10,000 Joe Ryan Jr. Memorial.
$50,000 American Derby.

Largest Casino In South Florida Casinos

2010 Stakes Schedule^[15] Michigan poker atlas.

The $15,000 Mardi Gras FuturityQualifying Rounds BeginJanuary 13 & 16Semi-Final RoundJanuary 20ChampionshipJanuary 23, 2010

Winner: Ls Lafave

Time: 30:60

The $75,000 Mardi Gras World ClassicQualifying Rounds BeginMarch 10