One Of The Largest Casinos In America Is An Overrated Florida Tourist Trap To Avoid, According To Reviews

From Las Vegas to Atlantic City, America boasts numerous glitzy casinos. Guests at North Carolina's oldest casino in the Great Smoky Mountains, Harrah's Cherokee, are treated to bucolic views and celebrity chef-helmed eateries, while America's largest casino wows with an outlet mall and adventure park. However, one of the most iconic brands in the business is anything but a sure bet. According to reviews, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, one of the largest casinos in America, is an overrated tourist trap. Numerous online reviews call out the casino for its uncontrolled crowds, smokey atmosphere, outrageous prices, and its-house-always-wins gambling tactics.

In a Tripadvisor review entitled "Horrible, Jam Packed," one guest who lives 45-minutes away from the Hard Rock complained the casino was so crowded they'd sooner hop a plane to Vegas than try to gamble locally. "Felt like we were being herd [sic] like animals. Once out of the show, we couldn't even attempt to gamble. It was so packed, we could barely move." On Reddit, one patron was floored by the gambling wait times. "Friday night at 5pm and there were 75 people on the wait list for 1/2. Not kidding, SEVENTY FIVE."

Worsening the cramped vibes is the cigarette smoke that overwhelms the casino. "The victim of the millions and millions of cigarettes smoked within its walls, this place now smells worse than the landfill it's located next to," blasts one Tripadvisor review. The stench even permeates the non-smoking guest rooms. "Every time the doors opened it sucked more smoke into the room," lamented another review in all caps. One Yelp reviewer was forced to play next to a chain-smoker all night. "Instead of providing a smoking area, Seminole casino put entire customers in life danger [sic] with second hand [sic] smoke."

Staying and playing here isn't cheap. The resort offers a range of accommodation, most famously 638 luxury rooms located inside of a soaring, 450-foot guitar-shaped hotel. The property also has state-of-the-art entertainment venues, several restaurants, and a gorgeous 4.5-acre pool complex. Room rates fluctuate depending on when you book, running anywhere from $250 per night to more than $600 during high season. While guests are free to book accommodation that suits their budget, online reviews highlight sticker shock for on-site food, drinks, and amenities.

One honeymooner paying over $1,000 a night was horrified at the resort's attempt to upsell him on a $2,300 poolside "Bora Bora Cabana" located in the shade. "I could spend $2,300 and actually get a real Cabana IN BORA BORA... with plenty of sunshine," they said on Tripadvisor. Unlike at other casinos, cocktails here are only complimentary for VIPs. "NO free drinks unless you're gambling in the high roller room. And to top it all off, they are ridiculously expensive," complained someone on Tripadvisor.

Gamblers hoping to hit the jackpot here won't find much luck, with reviewers upset about high minimums to join games and shady slot machines conspiring against players. "You can't win. I've been to numerous casinos all over the world and I've never seen a casino beat you at every game every single time you place a bet," wrote one exasperated Tripadvisor user. Those hoping to fare better might consider hopping a few states over to get the Bellagio feel outside of Las Vegas in this lavish Mississippi Gulf Coast Casino.