Had Legislators Followed Rick Scott a Year Ago, Gambling Mess Would've Been Over
A full year after Florida Gov. Rick Scott proposed a monumental gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the opportunity seems lost.
Rather than pay $3 billion for the next seven years, the Seminoles are in a position to pay zero for the next 14. A U.S. judge ruled in November that because some Florida card rooms, with permission from the state, offered blackjack-like games under the name “poker,” a vital portion of the compact was voided, so the Seminoles could offer blackjack and other table games — without paying Florida — through 2030.
The tribe had been paying $250 million annually. Now it doesn't have to fork out a cent. The state earns only about $1.5 million annually from the games, so it has lost out about $248.5 million. Ouch.
That Scott proposal from December 2015, which died in a legislative committee, also would have enabled South Florida horse tracks, dog tracks, and jai-alai frontons to offer blackjack (with a $15 maximum bet per hand) and added slot machines at the Palm Beach Kennel Club.
Also note that the Florida Supreme Court is sitting on a case that could wreak even more havoc. Gretna Racing, based in northwest Florida, is arguing it should be allowed to have slots because voters approved that via a referendum. If Gretna gets slots, five other Florida counties that approved similar referenda would likely sue – and that would dent the Seminoles’ exclusivity outside of South Florida.
Read more: A full year after Florida Gov. Rick Scott proposed a monumental gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the opportunity seems lost.
Rather than pay $3 billion for the next seven years, the Seminoles are in a position to pay zero for the next 14. A U.S. judge ruled in November that because some Florida card rooms, with permission from the state, offered blackjack-like games under the name “poker,” a vital portion of the compact was voided, so the Seminoles could offer blackjack and other table games — without paying Florida — through 2030.
The tribe had been paying $250 million annually. Now it doesn't have to fork out a cent. The state earns only about $1.5 million annually from the games, so it has lost out about $248.5 million. Ouch.
That Scott proposal from December 2015, which died in a legislative committee, also would have enabled South Florida horse tracks, dog tracks, and jai-alai frontons to offer blackjack (with a $15 maximum bet per hand) and added slot machines at the Palm Beach Kennel Club.
Also note that the Florida Supreme Court is sitting on a case that could wreak even more havoc. Gretna Racing, based in northwest Florida, is arguing it should be allowed to have slots because voters approved that via a referendum. If Gretna gets slots, five other Florida counties that approved similar referenda would likely sue – and that would dent the Seminoles’ exclusivity outside of South Florida.
Read more: http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/had-legislators-followed-rick-scott-a-year-ago-gambling-mess-wouldve-been-over-8281052