Previous entry: 
Next entry:
Gambling compact: Still a ways to go
I was at the Hard Rock's fifth anniversary party Monday morning, and will write up some details and comments about the casino's landmark in the next couple of hours.
Here's an update on the compact, the 500-pound gorilla in terms of gambling news stories:
Don’t look for the South Florida gambling scene to change any time soon, despite last week’s vote from the state Legislature: There’s still a tribal evaluation, another Florida Legislature vote and then some furniture to be moved.
Seminole Tribe CEO James Allen spelled out the tribe’s timeline Monday, after speaking at the fifth anniversary party of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The state’s gambling proposal, offered Friday, would give the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to blackjack and other table games at four casinos: the Hollywood Hard Rock, the Tampa Hard Rock, Seminole Coconut Creek and the tribe’s 30-year-old casino in Hollywood. Currently, the tribe has blackjack at the two Hard Rocks and at its Immokalee casino near Naples.
Now the ball is in the tribe’s court, and Seminole leaders are working with Gov. Charlie Crist toward either full acceptance, rejection or a counterproposal by the Aug. 31 deadline the Legislature set.
“We’re optimistic we can meet and hopefully exceed that time frame,” Allen said, noting that he was pleased by the margins of approval. The Senate voted 31-9 and the House 82-35.
The state’s horse tracks, dog tracks and jai-alai frontons are also waiting for a completed compact. The portion that allows for no-limit poker and reduces taxes on slot machines at parimutuels from 50 percent to 35 percent doesn’t take effect until there’s a pact with the tribe, said House Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, who helped negotiate the agreement.
The tribe's biggest sticking point: The state’s request to stop blackjack in Immokalee.
The tribe has hotels in two of the blackjack sites — Hollywood and Tampa — and plans are on the board to add a hotel in Coconut Creek. The tribe also has discussed a hotel in Immokalee, as well as a golf course, to the point that it has renderings on its compact web site.
“Our concept has been to create destinations – and jobs for Floridians – with our casinos, and frankly, Immokalee is an important facility,” Allen said. “But it’s also important not to look at a single line item but at the total compact.”
When Crist and the tribe agree on terms, the state votes again to ratify, either in a special session or in next year’s regular session. The tribe would need 60 to 90 days after it and the state ratify an agreement to rearrange casino space and train staff to add the table games, Allen said.
Over the next 15 years, the tribe would pay at least $150 million a year to the state, plus part of net gambling profits. The money would be funneled to the state’s Lottery trust fund, which is used to pay for school construction projects, Bright Futures scholarships and other education programs.
Tribe spokesman Gary Bitner said among the details in the 105-page document to evaluate is whether the income from blackjack would be enough to warrant paying the $150 million. The tribe may not make a further public statement until it meets with Crist, he said.
NICK SORTAL began playing 3-card "gut" and "Indian poker" on high school band trips, early training for his...
Comments
I don't think this is accurate. No-limit poker and reduced taxes only go into effect once the compact between the Seminoles and Florida has been ratified. The bill is here:
http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2009/Senate/bills/billtext/pdf/s0788er.pdf
Read section 26.
Posted by: Mark | May 11, 2009 2:32 PM
The next step is signing a new ballot initiative that allows full gambling statewide, or local option full gambling. AND not just at the Racinos.
Who wants to stay in a swamp. That is where all the seminole casinos are located. Ma and Pa from Idaho want to bring the kids to a sunny place where there are other things for the kids to do than wander the LIMITED offerings while fighting mosquitos. Wait, South Beach, Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Las Olas--hmmm fine shopping, dining, non-smoking establishments, patrons with teeth(at least two!!) We can go to a hotel casino there. Or wait, Martha, let's take a day trip to Ft. Lauderdale while the kids are in the Kingdom and hit the Casinos.
What you do NOT hear are any of the above uttered about visiting the Semiholes Casinos.
Posted by: JEFF | May 11, 2009 2:55 PM
I just fixed it; you are correct. Darn.
Posted by: Nick Sortal | May 11, 2009 2:58 PM
What? The Seminoles are operating in Corporate America. "Love All Serve All" blah,blah,blah... Our fathers made this land operative. After all this time, why can't we be friends?
Posted by: nancy...runningwaters | May 11, 2009 4:13 PM
What? The Seminoles are operating in Corporate America. "Love All Serve All" blah,blah,blah... Our fathers made this land operative. After all this time, why can't we be friends?
Posted by: nancy...runningwaters | May 11, 2009 4:13 PM
My girlfriend is a dealer for the Immokalee casino, having relocated from Jacksonville, and then Coconut Creek when the delays in opening there started. The area we live in, Ft. Myers/Lehigh Acres is SEVERELY depressed financially. It has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, and there are literally DOZENS of homes in the subdivision sitting empty. This area desperately needs something to help bring people in, and quite a few workers for the casino live here. Taking away these peoples' jobs and leaving them homeless will be a devastating blow to the community, one that it may not be able to survive through to whenever the economy decides to recover.
It also greatly angers me that the government fatcats in Capital Hill are considering putting hundreds more people out of jobs and into even more financial hardship than what was originally caused when they scrambled to find work back when the economy started to take its dive. Please, for all our sakes, let the Seminoles keep table games in Immokalee so we can attempt to make it through these hard times and help Lehigh Acres/Ft.Myers survive!
Posted by: David | May 11, 2009 6:16 PM
The area we live in, Ft. Myers/Lehigh Acres is SEVERELY depressed financially. It has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, and there are literally DOZENS of homes in the subdivision sitting empty.
This is exactly why taking gambling away seems prudent. The poorest are always the most negatively affected by gambling. Las Vegas survives as a travel destination, thus providing the locals ample job opportunities. Locals only casino's always run out of customers. The Hard Rock chain is a travel destination. Even the Isle Casino has reduced hotel rates at the local Marriot and Westin Inn.(albeit, not much to do in Pompano Beach-possibly the eventual death knell for the Isle of Capri here in Broward). Opening full blown gambling in Florida would only benefit the travel spots ie: Hard Rock hotels, with their poolside parties and beaches 10 minutes away. Coconut Creek Seminole is/was supposed to construct a boxing pavilion that could be used for various functions. Again, to pull in the tourist dollar. The concept that full-blown gambling would be good for the state is a fallacy. In my opinion of course.
Posted by: The Dentist | May 11, 2009 8:00 PM