Fontainebleau Owner Wants to Refresh Florida Casino

Jeffrey Soffer’s Fontainebleau Development, the company behind the flagship Las Vegas Strip casino resort, is proposing a major overhaul of its Big Easy Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The gaming venue, formerly known as Mardi Gras Casino and Hollywood Greyhound Track, currently features 700 slot machines, electronic table games and poker tournaments, but the owner wants to transform it into a luxury Las Vegas-style destination. The 67-story Fontainebleau on the Strip, which opened in December 2023, certainly fits that bill.

Reports suggest that Soffer’s Fontainebleau Development is pitching a gaming venue that would occupy more than 163,000 square feet and be designed by Las Vegas-based architecture firm Steelman Partners. That company has designed casino hotels for some of the biggest names in the gaming industry, including Caesars Entertainment, Genting Group, MGM Resorts International, Sands China and Wynn Macau, among others.

The proposed Big Easy Casino overhaul includes 34,344 square feet dedicated to dining, 11,205 square feet for bars and lounges, and a state-of-the-art live entertainment venue. Site plans also feature 1,707 total parking spaces, anchored by a new 818-space parking garage.

A Practical Pivot for Fontainebleau

Modernizing the Big Easy Casino is a practical move for Fontainebleau Development, particularly given that the property’s last major renovation occurred two decades ago.

Expanding in Hallandale Beach also offers a realistic alternative to Soffer’s long-standing—and politically stalled—attempt to transfer the venue’s gaming license to the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach. While Soffer donated millions to Florida political campaigns and advocacy groups to advance legislation permitting state gaming transfers, those efforts repeatedly failed to gain traction in Tallahassee.

Miami Beach residents were lukewarm on the idea of a casino at the Fontainebleau and Citadel founder Ken Griffin, one of the richest men in the U.S., even penned an op-ed, bashing the idea.

The bottom line is that it’s simply more practical and a better use of Fontainebleau Development’s time and resources to enhance the Big Easy than it is to pursue turning its Miami Beach property into a gaming venue.

Some Big Easy Holdings Already Monetized-to-Realizing Value from Existing Holdings

Fontainebleau Development previously monetized some of the land previously tied to the Big Easy Casino. Last December, the company unloaded 12.3 acres of land at the site to a group of buyers for $31.16 million, or more than double the $12.5 million Soffer paid to buy the venue in 2018.

That land is zoned for mixed use and will be turned into apartments and retail spaces. Fontainebleau Development has other aviation, commercial, entertainment, maritime, and residential property holdings across Florida and in other states.