The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Photo from Facebook
The Seminole Tribe signed a new Class III gaming compact with Gov. Rick Scott (R) on Monday. The deal allows the tribe to continue offering blackjack and authorizes new table games, including roulette and craps. In exchange for regional exclusivity on those games, the tribe has agreed to share an estimated $3 billion with the state over seven years. “With a $3 billion guarantee along with a cap on the tribe’s gaming, it is my hope that this compact can be the foundation of a stable and predictable gaming environment for the state of Florida,” Scott wrote in a letter to key lawmakers. “My execution of this compact is the first step in the process outlined in law and I look forward to continuing to work with you and your respective chambers this session in order to ratify this $3 billion historic agreement.” The Miami Herald posted a copy of the new compact, which extends provisions of a deal that expired at the end of July. The failure to reach a new agreement led to competing lawsuits in federal court filed by the tribe and the state. The cases will presumably be dismissed once Florida lawmakers ratify the agreement. The Bureau of Indian Affairs also will review it. Get the Story:
Seminole Tribe's Chairman Billie and Gov. Scott call gaming compact 'historic' (The Tampa Bay Times 12/8)
Rick Scott, Seminole Tribe Sign Tentative $3 Billion Gaming Pact (Sunshine State News 12/7)
Deal: Florida Gov. Rick Scott signs $3 billion gambling compact with Seminole Tribe (The Miami Herald 12/8)
Gov. Scott, Seminole Tribe Agrees to $3.1 Billion Gambling Deal (The News Service of Florida 12/8)
Use Seminole compact to shrink, not expand gambling: The Interview (The Orlando Sentinel 12/8)
Florida, Seminole tribe reach $3 billion gambling deal (AP 12/7)
Gov. Rick Scott signs new $3 billion Seminole Compact (Florida Politics 12/7)
Slow progress on gaming compact means it will remain out of budget talks (The Tampa Bay Times 12/7)
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