Renzo Downey
The Associated Industries of Florida is celebrating the Legislature for ratifying the 2021 Seminole Gaming Compact.
AIF Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs Brewster Bevis released a statement after the House’s vote Wednesday to approve Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ deal with the Seminole Tribe and a bill to implement it (SB 2A). The Senate ratified the measure Tuesday.
DeSantis and the Tribe signed the Compact last month, creating a new framework for Florida to get a cut of gaming revenue.
“On behalf of AIF and our members, I commend Governor Ron DeSantis for his leadership on this issue and Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls for their decisive action in reconvening the legislature and prioritizing the ratification of this compact that will benefit our state,” Bevis said. “It is truly a great day in the state of Florida as our leaders continue to drive our economy forward with their bold, action-oriented leadership.”
AIF, which called the agreement a “historic” compact, represents business interests in Florida. The association was created in 1920 to foster an economic climate to grow and develop industry and business in the state.
The 30-year Compact will bring in a guaranteed $500 million each of the first five years and more than $6 billion by 2030.
“This Compact also ensures that gaming profits are reinvested right here in Florida,” Bevis said. “In addition, this Compact keeps Florida family-friendly by delivering the most revenue share with the least amount of gaming.”
The Compact’s implementing bill still awaits DeSantis’ signature. And after passing that hurdle, it will head to the U.S. Department of the Interior for approval under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
It will almost inevitably face a battle in court. No Casinos, the group behind Amendment 3 in 2018 that requires voters to approve gambling expansions in Florida, argues it’s unconstitutional for the Legislature and the Governor to approve the deal themselves because the Compact allows mobile sports betting.
One comment
tjb
May 19, 2021 at 6:16 pm
This bill allows sports betting from our personal computers or mobile phones because the computer servers receiving the betting information is on tribal land. Currently, some betting games are allowed on Seminole lands, such as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, but the bettors need to be on this land.
This bill is a devious attempt to get around the law by saying a server receiving information from a remote location is the same as if I was betting in person at the Hard Rock Casino.
Using this logic, it appears that as Floridians, we can now download and trade child sexual abuse materials (Child Porn) legally if the server is located in a place where it is not against the law to do so. This is great news for the dirtbags that are presently downloading and trading such material. It would no longer be a felony but a legal activity. Sadly the state is willing to sell the innocence of our children for a few extra dollars.
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