Editorial: Anti-gaming crusaders in Florida

Wednesday, September 12, 2007  

"The anti-gambling crusade is on again in Tallahassee. As usual, the crusaders are wrong — just as in the days when ex-Gov. Jeb Bush and his pals in the Legislature railed against the evils of gambling.

This time, as Gov. Charlie Crist appeared on the verge of a deal with the Seminole Tribe on gambling at its casinos, we heard again from the "gambling is the work of the devil" crew.

House leaders said this week they won't ratify a gambling compact with the Seminoles that allows the Indians to offer Las Vegas-style table games at their seven casinos statewide. Vegas-style slots would be OK, but not games like blackjack.

Please. We have a state-run lottery, possibly the biggest sucker gamble possible. We have casinos. We have dog racing and horse racing and jai alai and. . . you get the picture.

The Legislature should stop the moralizing, and instead all energies should be spent getting the best deal possible for the state. Concerns about under-cutting the pari-mutuels' competitive edge are valid, but that's a question of regulation, not morality."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Time to get deal done with Tribe (The South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial 9/12)
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Another Opinion:
Editorial: Rubio's threat is a bad bet (The St. Petersburg Times 9/12)