Michael Bloom, general manager at the Isle Casino & Racing in Pompano Beach, moved to his company's sister property, in Lake Charles, La. His last day here was Friday.

Bob Strom is now the interim Isle GM, according to Jill Haynes, senior director of corporate communications for the chain of 14 casinos. The St. Louis-based company has not announced a permanent replacement.

Bloom came to the Isle after being president of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. He resigned in October 2007.

He came to the Isle in May 2008 and hired Strom, who worked in the food and beverage division at the Hard Rock. Sources say Strom is expected to eventually move to Lake Charles as well. They also say Bloom worked several years ago with Isle CEO Virginia McDowell; she wants him on her team, to the point that he was considered for a regional VP job over several casinos a few months ago. (I don't usually go with "sources said," but because this is a positive, I'm comfortable putting it on this blog. Plus, he always called me back.)

The Lake Charles operation looks a little bit bigger, with 1,800 slots, compared to the 1,500 in Pompano Beach. There's also a hotel in Lake Charles.

The new Pompano Isle GM will be in a holding pattern. The parimutuels overseen by the state are waiting for the tax rate to drop from 50 percent to 35 percent, as the compact between the Seminoles, Gov. Charlie Crist and the Legislature has been stalled. The economy has meant lower slot revenues, but the greater question is long-term.

Meanwhile, the Isle is making less than half of what Seminole Coconut Creek takes in, according to numbers I blogged about in September.