Florida lawmakers gearing up for more discussions about gaming

Friday, January 7, 2011  

Florida lawmakers are gearing up for hearings about gaming and it looks like new Gov. Rick Scott (R) will be playing along.

Prior governor Charlie Crist was the first to come to the table and negotiate a Class III compact with the Seminole Tribe. But lawmakers are eager to expand non-Indian gaming and Scott says he is open the idea -- he even met with gaming executives on a recent trip to Las Vegas.

""As you know, I've said in the campaign that I don't want our revenue dollars to be tied to gaming,'' Scott told The Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times. "`We've already approved gaming in the state, so we'll look at it going forward.'"

The Class III compact requires the tribe to share revenues with the state. But the tribe can stop payments if other types of gaming are legalized.

Get the Story:
Scott: Not so fast on casino expansion (Bay News 9 1/7)
Vegas casinos are in play for a move into Florida (The Miami Herald 1/7)