Gov. Rick Scott and the Seminole Tribe have a gambling deal worth $3 billion. The new deal will also allow for the southern portion of the state to expand gambling options.
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To view the full article, register now. “Craps and roulette are included in the scope, but when you come close to $2 billion in expansion, the whole look and product will be upgraded….” If the Legislature violates the agreement, the Seminoles could halt payments to the state. It allows room for another casino in Miami-Dade; existing tracks in Broward and Miami-Dade can eventually add blackjack tables. However, the pari-mutuels could only have blackjack after approval by a county-wide referendum that has to take place after the agreement is approved by the Legislature and the Department of the Interior. The “cap” refers to a limit on the number of slot machines the tribe could have at its casinos. While any one of its casinos can have up to 6,000 slots, the average of all seven must be less than 3,500. No casino can have more than 300 table games, with an average of 150 across all seven facilities.
Seminole Tribe Chairman James Billie hailed the deal – saying it was an agreement that benefits Floridians and tribal members. “This compact represents an unprecedented level of cooperation between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including the largest revenue share guarantee in history at $3 billion, which is three times the prior compact guarantee of $1 billion”.
The deal is accompanied by a key measure which is concerned with the expanded licenses of the gaming facilities in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties as well as the contraction of licenses for pari-mutuel businesses across Florida. “Rob Bradley and Rep. Jose Felix Diaz in the state’s negotiation”.
Scott also acknowledged that there may be “several other issues that the Legislature may wish to debate and discuss in addition to the details within this compact itself”. The announcement about the agreement came after months of negotiations between the interested parties. “It seemed like we were close, but that there was still some work that needed to be done”.
Being signed by Gov. Scott, means that the agreement will now have to be backed by the House and the Senate. “There are things that are probably going to have to change if we’re going to pass something out of the House”.
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“I think it’s a recognition that as the legislation moves through the process, there are going to be lots of voices that are going to be heard in the Legislature”, Bradley said.
