Two Contradicting Florida Gaming Bills Brought Before Senate & House

• Penny Cleopatra
• February 24, 2017

Florida house and state senate is expected to deliberate on two unique bills whose aim is to streamline gambling activities in the state.

However, it has emerged that the two casino bills have diverse goals and contract each other.

The two bills have been brought before the house and state senate at a time Rick Scott, the governor of Florida is contemplating on how to reach a consensus with local stakeholders, the Seminole Tribe.

Mike La Rose, the Tourism and Gaming Board chair of the subcommittee, has in recent days showed that he will stop at nothing but to monopolize gaming resorts within Seminole Tribe’s neighborhood.

If Rose’s proposal comes to pass, it will have a profound effect on Florida casino gambling outside the Seminole Tribe’s jurisdiction.

His idea means that the tribal group will be needed to pay up to $3 billion in seven years. Besides, there will be a ban of slot machines in areas like Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Monopolizing gaming resorts in the tribal group’s jurisdiction means making real money casino gambling sites, something that will not happen in other counties outside the Seminole Tribe.

The higher chamber is likely to discuss on how to authorize dog and horse racetracks, jai alai venues, which will help gamers to enjoy house banked cards and slots.

There will also be the likelihood that the Senate will remove the restriction on jai alai and live racing that has been in place for some time.

Coincidentally, the two sections of authority are not likely to meet on anything since they have different views on gaming. The Senate has an interest of expanding gambling activities in the state. On the other hand, the House seeks to limit gambling activities.

The beneficiary of lack of agreement on the two powers is the Seminole Tribe, whose gaming compact had expired.

Good For Seminole Tribe

While the battle between the Senate and the House continue, it gives the Seminole Tribe ample time to make real money from their 5 facilities that are evenly spread across Florida.

Currently, this Native American Tribe has been authorized to operate games classified under Class III, which offer coveted blackjack, table games as well as slots inside their gaming floors.

It should be remembered that although they are offering these games in their facilities, they are doing so in contravention to the law. Their contract expired two years ago.

Even as the state deliberates on how to handle the Seminole Tribe’s current situation, the tribal group is still offering table games and slots. It is also sending tax to Tallahassee.

The state’s reluctance in enacting legislation that might affect the tribal group, Seminole Tribe will continue to offer their gaming services as usual.

Speaking on their readiness to engage the state on a new gaming compact, the tribal group, through their spokesperson said that they have no problem with the state. Check out the article The Future Of Online Casino Gambling Looks Bright With No House Edge.

“We are open to have discussions with the state. We are ready to have a new compact. However, we’d prefer not to announce our discussions to the public,” Gary Bitner told the media last year.

Gambling Is Addictive

The other bill that is yet to be discussed is a warning directed to the public on the effect of gambling. On what has been seen by market observers as a bill that will impact revenue collected from gambling, the bill, which says, “GAMBLING IS ADDICTIVE”, the bill seeks to harm gambling.

Whether the two bills will finally become laws that will govern how the state runs gambling activities, is a matter of time.