Seminole Casino Gambling Compact Turned Away By Florida Lawmakers

The Seminole Indians and lawmakers in the state of Florida may be farther away from a gambling agreement than they have ever been. On Thursday, a special House committee turned away the latest negotiated compact between the Seminoles and Governor Charlie Crist.

It has been reported since December that the compact was going to be rejected by lawmakers. Instead, legislators are now moving towards helping state pari-mutuels compete with the Seminoles. It is a change of strategy that began after the latest compact had been negotiated.

In addition to rejecting the Seminole compact, lawmakers proposed a bill that would lower the tax rate that pari-mutuels pay on their slot winnings. The move is an indication of where the thought process of the lawmakers lie.

"Now that the lawmakers understand fully how important of a tool that casino gambling can be in regards to the state budget, they are considering their options without the Seminole Tribe," said Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz, "The latest developments are not good news for the Seminoles.

Legislators, however, did not rule out a compact with the Seminoles in the future. The lawmakers ordered for more negotiations to take place, but set the guidelines for those negotiations.

Chairman Bill Galvano also claims he has spoken with the leader of the National Indian Gaming Commission and believes the Commission will step in and shut down blackjack games at the Seminole casinos. Galvano has been angered by the Seminoles willingness to continue to operate the games even after the original compact of 2007 was voided by the state Supreme Court.

January 14, 2010
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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