Compacts

Seminole Tribe faces setback for new Class III gaming compact

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Employees of the Seminole Tribe of Florida lobbied state lawmakers to ratify a new Class III gaming compact on February 3, 2016. Photo from Jobs For Florida / Facebook

A new Class III gaming compact between the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida is on the verge of collapse due to lack of support from lawmakers.

The tribe promised to share $3 billion and create more than 15,000 jobs but apparently that's not enough to secure approval of the agreement. Lawmakers are only in session for one more week and have failed to advance a bill that includes the compact.

“It’s certainly on life support. Procedurally, it will be difficult to make it to the floor,” Sen. Rob Bradley (R) told The News Service of Florida of the gaming bill.

The tribe has already shared $1 billion with the state under a 2010 compact. Key provisions of that deal expired in July 2015 but the tribe has asserted the right to continue offering blackjack while a lawsuit plays out in federal court.

Get the Story:
Senate says no deal to $3B gambling pact with Seminoles (The News Service of Florida 3/2)
Rick Scott says legislative inaction on Compact will cost jobs (FloridaPolitics.Com 3/2)
Florida gaming compact falls victim to ‘a lot of factions’ (The Tampa Tribune 3/2)
Big gambling bill still in play (GateHouse Florida 3/1)
House panel votes to expand gambling in Florida (The South Florida Sun-Sentinel 3/1)