Hard Rock International recently purchased all rights to the Hard Rock brand and related trademarks allowing the Seminole Tribe of Florida the agency to open a Hard Rock property in Las Vegas.
The Seminole Tribe’s 2006 purchase of Hard Rock International marked a milestone in Indian gaming, as the first time a Tribe acquired a major, international company.
This week, the Seminole Tribe’s behemoth enterprise expanded even further. Hard Rock International (HRI) has acquired all rights to the Hard Rock brand and related trademarks in Las Vegas from Houston-based private equity firm, Juniper Capital.
Now nothing stands in the way of the Seminole Tribe of Florida developing, owning, licensing, managing or operating a Hard Rock-branded casino and resort in Las Vegas, or anywhere within Clark County, Nevada.
The transaction, of an undisclosed amount, grants HRI exclusive rights to memorabilia, signage and merchandise, along with intellectual property rights for affiliated restaurant and entertainment trademarks and website domain names.
“This agreement marks an exciting chapter for Hard Rock, in Las Vegas and beyond,” said Jim Allen, Chairman, Hard Rock International. “We look forward to the opportunity of enhancing our presence in Las Vegas, which will always be one of the most iconic entertainment markets in the world.”
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The Tribe’s ownership of HRI previously excluded the opportunity to own and operate a property in Las Vegas, because one of the original owners, Peter Morton, insisted on retaining naming rights west of the Mississippi when he and his business partner first sold the Hard Rock brand to the Rank Group. That stipulation stuck when Seminole purchased HRI from Rank in 2007.
The move comes as casinos nationwide are shuttered to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Our business is actually in 76 countries around the world, so we’ve been dealing with this situation since January,” Allen recently told Fox Business. “Domestically, our casinos we’re thinking about opening in Florida, the end of May, early June.” The Seminole Tribe of Florida owns six casinos in Florida, all temporarily shuttered since March 20.
