Jim Rosica
The Seminole Tribe of Florida is airing an ad in the Tallahassee market urging passage of a new gambling deal between the Tribe and the state.
But with lawmakers saying their “bandwidth” has been sapped by a fight over the 2018-19 budget and by a legislative response to the Broward County high school shooting, it’s looking less likely that the Legislature will address gambling by Session’s end on March 9.
“It was in production prior to the most recent interactions with leaders of the Legislature,” Tribe spokesman Gary Bitner said.
The Tribe is angling for a renewed 20-year deal, called the Seminole Compact, for continued exclusive rights to blackjack and to slot machines outside South Florida in return for $3 billion to the state over seven years from their casino revenues.
The House and Senate had felt pressed to finally pass comprehensive legislation this Session, after years of being at loggerheads.
A proposed “voter control of gambling” constitutional amendment will be on November’s statewide ballot, meaning this Session is likely the last gasp at guiding what gambling will look like in Florida.
“This could be our last possible chance to regulate gaming as a legislative body,” Sen. Travis Hutson, a St. Augustine Republican, told fellow lawmakers earlier this month. He chairs the Senate Regulated Industries Committee and is carrying the Senate’s 2018 gaming bill.
In the 30-second ad, a narrator says, “For years, the Seminole Compact has come through big for the people of Florida. With over 19,000 jobs and more than $2 billion already paid to fund vital services.
“Today, the Seminole Tribe is making one of the largest private investments in Florida, creating nearly 20,000 Florida jobs. The Florida Compact is working. Let’s keep it going.”
3 comments
Steven Norton
February 22, 2018 at 9:32 pm
The Florida Legislature needs to find the time to finalize the compact with the Seminole Tribe. The State could use the $3 billion, over the next 7 years, but even more important, is allowing the Hard Rock casinos to add the games of Craps and Roulette, and complete their casino offerings. Roulette is the favorite game in Europe and the United Kingdom, and Craps is important for the American market. Plus we shouldn’t minimize the importance of casino gaming in Florida, as tourism is Florida’s largest job provider and most likely the biggest tax earner.
Even if the Legislature has to come back in special session, this compact needs to be dealt with before the November referendum, that could remove the Legislature and Governor from the process. And with a 60% majority required, it is unlikely, absent a major decline in out of State tourism, that any casino issue could pass in my home State, so severely divided in outlook; between the Southern part of Florida and the rest of the State. Let’s do what is best for the State, Florida tourism and our oldest settlers, the Seminole Tribe.
Michael
February 23, 2018 at 10:41 am
Yeah ok there Mr Norton.. Give the Seminoles more than the 2 Billion they make just here in Florida alone while Broward County is dump. Gambling does nothing but create problems. Casino’s prey on people’s obsessive and compulsive nature. Casino’s are created only for one purpose and that is to have a loser stick his hand in his pocket and throw away money. Casino’s are specifically designed for this purpose and they enhance it with other vices like booze, sex, tobacco, free rooms, free food and so on…
The State already makes billions on lottery and other business ventures and they squander it away. They have way too much dead wood collecting paychecks in Government positions too. They can’t even get a deal going for years now because they are all greedy. They envelope that is getting placed into pockets of the law makers is going to stop when the Voters in Charge move in.
It is good that the law makers get cut from decision making in gaming.
Also Mr Norton, I think you may watch to much TV about what is popular in the US market. I’ve been in the business for over 28 years and craps is not the big deal here. Most people who go to the casino don’t even know how the game is played..
Michael
February 23, 2018 at 10:45 am
Yeah ok there Mr Norton.. Give the Seminoles more than the 2 Billion they make just here in Florida alone while Broward County is dump. Gambling does nothing but create problems. Casino’s prey on people’s obsessive and compulsive nature. Casino’s are created only for one purpose and that is to have a loser stick his hand in his pocket and throw away money. Casino’s are specifically designed for this purpose and they enhance it with other vices like booze, sex, tobacco, free rooms, free food and so on…
The State already makes billions on lottery and other business ventures and they squander it away. They have way too much dead wood collecting paychecks in Government positions too. They can’t even get a deal going for years now because they are all greedy. The envelope that is getting placed into pockets of the law makers is going to stop when the Voters in Charge move in.
It is good that the law makers get cut from decision making in gaming.
Also Mr Norton, I think you may watch to much TV about what is popular in the US market. I’ve been in the business for over 28 years and craps is not the big deal here. Most people who go to the casino don’t even know how the game is played..
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