Editorial: Odds favor Seminole Tribe on compact

Thursday, July 24, 2008  

"The Florida Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Seminole Tribe of Florida can't conduct high-stakes blackjack and baccarat games at its Hard Rock Casino near Hollywood. Legislative leaders have said that they won't give the tribe permission. Gambling rivals have sued to block the games at Hard Rock.

But at least for the short term, the odds still favor the Seminoles, which is where Gov. Crist will have to keep placing his bet.

Last week, the tribe and the governor asked the high court for a rehearing. Even if the Seminoles are rebuffed, they can keep the games going - for a while.

The big question is whether Florida will get anything out of it. The tribe paid $50 million when Gov. Crist agreed last fall to give them exclusive rights to the card games. The tribe also pledged to pay at least $100 million a year for 25 years. That money is in jeopardy because Gov. Crist signed without legislative approval, which the court said is the key if the Seminoles are to offer the card games. They are illegal everywhere else in Florida.

In asking for the rehearing, the tribe claims that the Supreme Court misinterpreted the federal laws that govern gambling on Indian lands. Essentially, the tribe argues that the U.S. Department of the Interior approved the compact between the governor and tribe, so no other approval is necessary. In a more whimsical argument, the tribe says it should be able to offer table games as well because in the 1990s the Florida Lottery ran a television show that featured what purported to be a high-stakes card game."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Crist must keep playing (The Palm Beach Post 7/24)