House And Senate Pass Expanded Gambling Bill In Florida

The House and the Senate have now both signed off on an expanded gambling Bill in the state of Florida that could make the area a top playing destination for many top professional poker players.

Currently, there is a $100 maximum buy-in limit at casinos in Florida. Under the Bill that was passed by Florida lawmakers, that limit would no longer exist. That would mean much higher stakes at poker rooms across South Florida.

The biggest winner in this new deal may be the Seminole Coconut Creek Casino. The casino has been planning major expansion that would bring entertainment similar to that of the Seminole Hard Rock facility in Hollywood.

The losers in the new deal will be the young poker players. The age limit for playing poker at these no-limit tables will go up from eighteen to twenty-one. That would eliminate a growing number of college aged students from poker rooms across South Florida.

The Seminoles still have to approve the parameters of the new deal. They would have to pay the state $150 million annually, instead of the $100 million that was previously proposed. That should not be a difficult sticking point since the Seminoles will get exclusive rights to blackjack.

The Senate passed the Bill with a 31-9 vote, while over in the House, the Bill was passed 82-35.

May 8, 2009
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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