January 14, 2015

Florida Gambling Compact with Seminole Nation has Deadline Set

By tjdy

Casino Watch Focus has reported on the ongoing political management of the Seminole Nation Gambling Compact. This compact establishes the gambling rules for what Tribal Gambling is allowed as well as what types of gambling Florida can offer. Major money is at stake and many different political actors have been positioning for a spot at the negotiating table. Florida Gov. Rick Scott failed to negotiate a renewal deal last year so now a deadline has been established. An online source explains:

 

A July 31 deadline has been set for the Seminole Nation of Florida regarding a key provision of its Class III gaming compact with the state.

The Nation and the state have been in talks for several months on how to renew the compact, but have failed to reach an agreement. According to the provisions of the 2010 agreement, the Nation has an exclusive right, to play three card games — blackjack, chemin de fer and baccarat — at five of its casinos, and in return, they must share a portion of their revenue with the state to be in compliance with state and federal law.

 

State officials are looking for ways to expand gambling in Florida, possibly beyond simple card games and all the way to full Las Vegas style gambling cosinos. The agreement allows for guaranteed revenues for the State from Seminole Nation and it prevents the type of large scale gambling expansion that could pose serious problems for Florida’s families. The source continues:

 

Last year, an editorial in /The Tampa Tribune said the state should “respect the Seminole gaming pact” by renewing it:

The state’s gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe has generated over copy billion in revenues over the past five years and helped to prevent the spread of big-money games and high-end, Las Vegas-style resorts in Florida.

While we’re no fan of gambling, the Seminole Compact, which allows for slot machines, blackjack and certain other card games at five of the tribe’s seven Florida casinos, offers the state its best option if it wants to keep gambling in check.

 

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 14th, 2015 at 9:22 pm and posted in Elected Officials, Gambling Venues, legislation, Tribal Gambling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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