"It's unfortunate Gov. Charlie Crist didn't possess the steely resolve of former governors Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush when it came to combating efforts by the Seminole Tribe to turn Florida into a casino-gambling state.

Crist overstepped his authority in 2007 by negotiating a compact with the tribe in exchange for guarantees of tens of millions of dollars a year without legislative approval, and the Florida Supreme Court scrapped the deal.

Now, Seminole casinos have become mini-Las Vegases - including the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa - and the state's parimutuel industry is demanding a level playing field.

The question now before the Legislature is whether the state should ratify the compact Crist negotiated with the Seminoles, limiting blackjack and other high-stakes card games to tribe facilities, or open up more of the state to games not legally available elsewhere.

The answer should be clear: The expanded gambling Crist allowed now is established at the Seminole facilities and sanctioned by the federal government. There is no undoing the damage. The state should approve the compact and let the pari-mutuels, which already offer lesser forms of gambling, fend for themselves."

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Editorial: Don't Let Gambling Conquer State (The Tampa Tribune 2/22)