Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschMarch 2, 2016

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; the band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, and somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; but there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out. Mudville, in this case, is Tallahassee. And Casey is a stand-in for […]

Jim RosicaMarch 1, 2016

Tom Lee, chairman of the Senate’s Appropriations Committee, on Tuesday said the chamber’s gambling bills wouldn’t be heard at the panel’s meeting. Lee, a Brandon Republican, made the announcement as the meeting was about to begin, but didn’t get into details. With committees generally unable to meet after Tuesday, the 50th day of the Legislative Session, […]

Ryan RayFebruary 26, 2016

Senate budget chair Tom Lee has added a pair of potentially momentous gaming bills to the Appropriations Committee’s agenda for its meeting Tuesday. SB 7072 would expand slot machines beyond South Florida and reduce the effective tax rate on the machines. It would allow slots in six counties where voters already have approved the form of gambling […]

Ryan RayFebruary 9, 2016

The House Regulatory Affairs Committee approved a trio of bills that could reshape Florida’s gaming industry, mainly by ratifying a newly renegotiated compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida and by separating pari-mutuel racing from the card games which have come to dominate those facilities. A panel passed all three bills sponsored by its Chairman […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 25, 2016

The group behind a proposed constitutional amendment to give voters more control over gambling says it’s gathered 100,000 signatures toward getting on the 2018 ballot. The Voters In Charge committee on Monday said it is sending its latest collected signature to county Supervisors of Elections so they can be validated. The committee is chaired by John Sowinski, who […]

Drew WilsonNovember 12, 2015

Anti-gambling group No Casinos Inc. launched a new political committee late last month and jump-started its fundraising with a $195,000 check. Voters in Charge paperwork reached state elections officials Oct. 21 and the contribution followed two days later. The committee is chaired by No Casinos President John Sowinski and Abby Dupree is listed as the […]

Guest AuthorOctober 12, 2015

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Florida was the first state to officially sanction greyhound racing in 1931 and for almost 85 years it’s been an enjoyable source of entertainment for Floridians as well as visitors to our state. Just as importantly, greyhound racing track owners have made billions in revenue and made a big contribution to Florida’s economy over the […]

Guest AuthorOctober 11, 2015

Florida was the first state to officially sanction greyhound racing in 1931 and for almost 85 years it’s been an enjoyable source of entertainment for Floridians as well as visitors to our state. Just as importantly, greyhound racing track owners have made billions in revenue and made a big contribution to Florida’s economy over the […]

Associated PressSeptember 30, 2015

Move aside one-armed bandits. The casino floor is making room for game zones with oversized popping dice, digital spinning Big Six wheels and virtual roulette, with an eye on adding arcade-style video games in the not-so-distant future. As gamblers appear to be shunning stingier slot machines that don’t offer as many payouts, game-makers and casinos […]

Peter SchorschJuly 31, 2015

It seems that a deal is a deal is a deal, unless it’s a compact. The Seminole Tribe of Florida negotiated a compact with the state of Florida to exclusively offer banked card games. That deal expires Friday. The tribe intends to keep dealing, and so it appears both sides will test their luck in yet another game based […]

Tag: gaming
Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Image via Visit Florida.

Peter Schorsch: No joy in Mudville, the Legislature struck out

Senate gambling legislation appears dead for 2016 Session

Senate budget chief Tom Lee adds gaming bills to Appropriations panel agenda

House panel approves raft of gaming bills

Anti-gambling amendment cracks 100,000-signature mark

No Casinos jump-starts anti-gambling campaign with $195K check

Jack Cory: Florida’s greyhound racing industry deserves protection

Jack Cory: Florida's greyhound racing industry deserves protection

As gamblers shun stingier slots, casinos shake things up

A deal is a deal — unless it’s the Seminole Compact