Dear Friends:

Legislative leaders have expressed concern about Governor Charlie Crist’s latest attempt to finalize a gambling compact between the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe. The governor’s proposal would give the tribe a 20-year monopoly on blackjack games and slot machines outside of South Florida, and the proposal appears to delve into matters that go beyond what the Legislature approved during the 2009 session.

As a state representative from Palm Beach and Broward counties, which is home to several pari-mutuel facilities that employ hundreds of people locally, it is very important to me that any expansion of gaming provided to the Seminole facilities be paired with an acceptable expansion of gaming at the pari-mutuel facilities. Without receiving competitive benefits, the pari-mutuels may struggle to compete with the Seminole facilities, and could be driven out of business.

The governor’s proposal would provide a 15-percent reduction in the tax that tracks and frontons pay the state, and facilities outside Broward and Miami-Dade counties could offer no-limit poker and extended cardroom hours. But representatives of the gaming industry have said that those changes may not be enough to offset the advantage the deal gives the Seminoles.

I am hopeful that any new proposal agreed upon by the House and Senate would allow pari-mutuels to remain competitive with the Seminole facilities and provide an opportunity to create jobs, generate revenue for the state and increase much-needed funding for education.

Toward this goal, Senate President Jeff Atwater and legislative advisers sent a nine-page document to the governor’s General Counsel, asking for answers to two dozen questions regarding the compact, including details of an exclusivity clause. I am eager to review the responses to those questions, and will be mindful of the needs of our local and overall state economies when I have the opportunity to debate and vote on this issue.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff if you have any questions or concerns. Our district office number is (561) 470-6593.

All the best,

Kelly Skidmore
State Representative, District 90

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