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Seminole Gambling Compact Supported by Business Leaders
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA --
The gaming agreement reached between Florida Governor Charlie Crist and the Seminole Tribe received newfound support among Florida business leaders this week. Both the Florida Retail Federation and the Florida Restaurant Lodging Association backed the hotly contested casino gambling pact, even as the state legislature debated radical changes.
Crist and the Seminoles agreed that the tribes' casinos would be allowed to carry Class III slots, and would have exclusive rights in Florida to blackjack and other table card games. In return, the Seminoles would pay the state hundreds of millions in tax, whereas their casinos had previously not put a dime in Florida coffers.
But state lawmakers protested that Crist did not have the authority to make such a deal, and the state Supreme Court agreed. Now the Senate has devised a plan expanding blackjack to racinos, and throwing roulette and craps in for the tribal gambling venues. Meanwhile, the House has turned in the opposite direction, crafting a bill which would severely cut back on the gaming in Crist's deal.
“The economic benefits from ratifying the Seminole Compact would not be limited to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, but would ripple across all of Florida’s economy,” stated Carol Dover, CEO and president of the restaurant association.
Increased gaming for the Seminoles would result in the long-anticipated construction of new hotels, bars, restaurants, and retail areas at both the Tampa and Coconut Creek casinos, rivalling or exceeding the size and impact of the Seminole Hollywood Hard Rock Casino.
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