Editorial: Seminole casino compact a good deal for Florida

Monday, April 12, 2010  

"Give the Florida Legislature credit. Lawmakers pushed their way into the delicate negotiations between Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminole Tribe over a new gambling compact. It also took a lawsuit to get state lawmakers in the mix, and this week the Legislature actually ended up crafting a much better deal that provides something for most of the players.

The new compact proposal working its way through the Legislature won't please gambling opponents. At best, the 20-year pact stalls gambling expansion for only five years, when state officials and the tribe can revisit the compact's card-game provisions to see if either side might benefit from a better deal.

The most obvious benefit to Florida is a bigger source of revenue. The bill would produce an immediate $457 million infusion into the state budget, along with the promise of $1 billion over a five-year period. That's a better deal than the one initially negotiated by Mr. Crist.

The tribe would receive exclusive rights to run new card games at five of its casinos, and it would be able to offer Las Vegas-style slots at four casinos outside Broward and Miami-Dade counties."

Get the Story:
Our take on: Seminole gambling deal (The Orlando Sentinel 4/10)

Another Opinion:
Our views: A winning gamble (Florida Today 4/11)