Governor Crist And Seminoles Close To $1 Billion Gambling Deal

The Senate and the House in Florida are far off in their respective plans for expanded gambling in the state. They have, however, allowed the governor to begin negotiations with the Seminole Indians involving casino gambling.

What Governor Crist and the Seminoles are working on today is a deal that would include giving the state $1 billion in the first two years of the agreement. That would go a long way in helping the state balance their budget.

It does, however, present some problems down the road for the state. While the Seminoles would give all of that money up front, the state would then suffer on the back end of the deal, and some lawmakers are skeptical of that situation.

"It's not a good deal," said Senator Dennis Jones, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel, "If it's a twenty five year deal, say your getting a lot of money up front, but maybe only $100 million or $150 million for the out years, then it's a bad deal. We've got to see the specifics."

The Sentinel also reported that the deal could be announced as early as this afternoon. Most likely any proposal offered from the governor and the Seminoles would simply be a starting point to further negotiations.

The Senate and the House have both passed Bills recently regarding casino gambling expansion, but they are vastly different. The Senate wants full scale casino gaming for the Seminoles, while the House looks to strip the Seminoles of blackjack.

April 22, 2009
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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