Hard Rock & Seminole Gaming release their 2023 Corporate Social Repsonsibility Report

Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming announced the release of its 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Report: Fifty Years Forward. 

Social purpose has propelled Hard Rock since its inception in 1971, guided by its founding mottos: Love All-Serve All. All Is One. Save The Planet, and Take Time To Be Kind. 

Paul Pellizzari, Vice President of Global Social Responsibility at Hard Rock International, spoke about these values: “Our brand mottos have shaped who we are as a brand for the past 50 years while setting the foundation of our future. Today, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming operate 250+ cafes, hotels and casinos spanning 67 countries and with that comes a responsibility to support local communities all over the world.”

“We honor this commitment by making strides to benchmark, evaluate and plan a brighter future for all.”

The report reflects Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming’s progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which call for action to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. 

They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. 

Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming have established a multi-pronged approach to continue investing in five crucial areas: Community Impact & Corporate Giving; Team Members, Culture & DEI; Social Safeguards & Responsible Gambling; Economic Development; and Environmental Sustainability. 

The companies have invested locally, nationally and globally across causes that matter most to the communities they operate in. Priorities such as hunger relief, cancer prevention, diversity equity, and inclusion, human trafficking prevention, children’s hospice care, socioeconomic conditions and more. 

Some examples of these investments are the annual PINKTOBER campaign to fight breast cancer; and its partnership with WhyHunger, which has raised $6.8 million to date to combat global hunger and poverty. 

Team members across Seminole Gaming casinos, as well as Hard Rock casinos, hotels and cafe locations have raised $9 million to support local community needs. As part of its philanthropic arm, Hard Rock Heals contributed more than $1.8 million to support music-based programs and partnerships around the world. 

Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming continue a tradition of inclusion by building upon equitable policies, programs and practices such as the Women in Leadership program to increase women’s representation within leadership roles. 

Seminole Tribal Members are invited to participate in a Tribal Career Development PRogram designed to build business skills, develop leadership capabilities and give Tribal Members access to senior leaders. 

Team Member Resource Groups, spanning 11 different identifiers such as caregivers, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+, as well as cultural identifiers, foster a sense of belonging and inclusion that can spark innovation and accelerate employee development. 

The companies are also committed to supporting at-risk team members and valued community members by addressing issues that are prevalent within the industry. Hard Rock’s proprietary responsible gaming program, PlayersEdge educates players on healthy play habits and support resources. To date, 18.234 team members were trained, with 92% reporting an improved knowledge or skill. 

One measurable outcome of the introduction of PlayersEdge to casinos was a 10% increase in calls to the Florida Problem Gambling helpline. 

The Hard Rock Social Identity Quest education program was adopted and taught by 60,000 teachers in 45 U.S. States, reaching 1.2 million high school students, 8% of the student population. A formal evaluation revealed a 13% increase in learning objectives, demonstrating positive outcomes for online safety literacy.

In economic investment terms, since 2011, nearly 30% on average of Seminole Gaming’s annual purchases have come from Tribal-owned or affiliated vendors. On a global scale, more than 15,000 jobs have been created in communities hosting new hotels, casinos and casino-hotels around the world since 2018.

The Tribe supports local Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), spending $26 million in annual purchases from Minority Business Enterprise, Women Business Enterprise, Veteran Business Enterprise, and Disabled Business Enterprise, and assist further by helping them grow knowledge, expertise, while further developing products and services.

In terms of environmental sustainability, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming are growing efforts to sustainably address waste, energy and water by driving operational improvements, engaging non-profit partners and pursuing best practice collaborations with vendors.

83% of properties globally have implemented efficiency technologies, such as auto-sensors, reduced flow faucets, two-flow toilets and efficient laundry machines.

Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming’s participation in Clean the World’s Hospitality Recycling program diverted 13,660 pounds of plastic waste and distributed approximately 66,370 bars/soap and 10,339 pounds of leftover soap through Hygiene Kits used in shelters, food pantries and disaster recovery organizations in the United States to date.

As part of an ongoing partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and annual participation in Earth Hour, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming properties “go dark” by switching off lights to build awareness for climate change action each year. To date, 114 properties have participated and 603,00+KW has been saved.

Click here for the full report.