Compacts | Legislation | Opinion

Seminole Tribe opens casino compact negotiations with governor

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

The Seminole Tribe and Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) are in negotiations for a new Class III gaming compact.

The tribe signed a five-year deal in 2010 that guaranteed regional exclusivity in exchange for a share of the revenues. As of this April, the tribe will have contributed $1 billion to the state, general counsel Jim Shore said.

"A billion dollars in revenue sharing, and growing. Tens of thousands of jobs. Billions in economic impact," Shore wrote in an opinion published by The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "It adds up to a great deal for Florida, one in which we're pleased to be a partner, and one that deserves to go on well into the future."

Scott confirmed that he was in talks with the tribe. But he declined to divulge details as state lawmakers consider a possible expansion of non-Indian gaming.

“We’re early, but we’re in the middle of negotiating the compact,” Scott told The Miami Hearld. “I’m not going to talk about what we’re going to do in the middle of the negotiation.”

Get the Story:
Governor starts negotiations with Seminole Tribe (The Miami Herald 3/5)
House files gambling bill (The South Florida Sun-Sentinel 3/5)
Casino giants disappointed in Fla. gambling plans (Local 10 3/4)