Jim Rosica
An appeal to a federal judge’s ruling allowing the Seminole Tribe to keep offering blackjack at its Florida casinos now has been scheduled for an April 11 mediation, court dockets show.
The state’s lawyers had asked the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for more time to file their initial brief in the appeal.
But they withdrew that request upon learning that a mediation conference had been set at the Kinnard Mediation Center.
The state “learned that … the parties could obtain appropriate extensions of time to file briefs from the mediator,” wrote attorney J. Carter Andersen of the Bush Ross firm, which is representing the state.
“Counsel consulted with the (Tribe’s attorneys) regarding this motion, and (they do) not object to the requested relief,” he wrote.
Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in November had ruled that regulators working under Gov. Rick Scott allowed select Florida dog and horse tracks to offer card games that were too similar to ones that were supposed to be exclusive to Tribe-owned casinos for a five-year period.
The judge decided the Tribe could keep its blackjack tables till 2030.
The state, however, wanted Hinkle to instead order the tribe to remove the games because a blackjack provision in an agreement between the state and tribe expired in 2015.
Gambling legislation has again been filed in both chambers of the Legislature this year.
While the bills differ by expanding or contracting gambling, both included a new blackjack deal worth $3 billion over seven years in revenue share to the state. Negotiated by Scott last year, it previously failed to gain approval from lawmakers.
One comment
Eric Keaton
February 27, 2017 at 3:50 pm
Jesus please take the wheel. More taxpayer money going out the window. And the Seminoles are now making Florida look like an economic embarrassment. The tribe makes billions and the bulk of it doesn’t even come from Florida citizens. Even with the limited offerings the tribe does have. And just what does the tribe have to offer.?
Nothing. The tribe doesn’t get to offer anything unless the state offers it first. Florida then offers exclusivity on blackjack for 1 billion over 5 years and immediately violates the exclusivity clause. Playing russian roulette with a fully loaded pistol.? Don’t do it.
Counties may not be able to install slots outside of broward and dade, thats true.. I don’t think anything is stopping any of the same counties from holding referendums to legalize roulette and craps and then install those games instead of slots. Work the compact from the other end. That’s what you do. The tribes compact may have the power to limit slots in Florida, but not roulette or craps. And they damn sure won’t have to worry about a giant mouse or No.Casinos.. or is that just a no.go pipe dream.?
Can’t go to class 4 with out first clearing class 2.?! What is this mario.? I thought this was America.. Is the Florida House just full of a bunch of American’ts.?? You can’t do this – You can’t do that. I’ll tell you just what you can do with that compact rewrite. And don’t tell me I can’t. Im an Ameri-CAN.!!!!
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