Poker Rooms to Close as Hurricane Milton Bears Down on Central Florida

TAMPA, FLORIDA, USA (BrokeFish Poker) -- Hurricane Milton rapidly intesified on Monday, becoming a Major Category 5 storm with sustained winds in excess of 170 miles per hour. The storm, which has prompted numerous watches and warnings across Florida, is expected to make landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area.

The threat of storm surge as high as 12 feet, along with heavy rainfall and damaging winds, has led to mandatory evacation orders. With the evacuations, many who work at poker rooms and gaming facilities across Florida will be leaving the area and some poker rooms have announced plans to close.

Win Derby in St. Petersburg, Florida was one of the first rooms to close, announcing that at 4:00 AM Monday it would close down until Hurricane Milton had cleared the area. Other poker rooms and gaming facilities in Florida are expected to close at least temporarily due to the storm. 

--Matt Soleyn, Senior News Editor, BrokeFish Poker