Class II gaming machines at the Miccosukee Resort and Gaming in Miami, Florida. Photo from Facebook
The Seminole Tribe saw a major setback last week when the Florida Legislature failed to ratify a new Class III gaming compact. But the Miccosukee Tribe was unaffected by the debate due to a long-standing policy of "isolation," gaming columnist Nick Sortal of The Miami Herald notes. Isolation has its benefits, Sortal writes. Since the Miccosukees don't have a compact with the state, they don't have to share any of their revenues from the Miccosukee Resort and Gaming, which only offers Class II games. The Seminoles, on the other hand, shared $1 billion under a 2010 compact and promised to share $3 billion under the agreement that wasn't ratified. But isolation doesn't mean the Miccosukees don't have their own issues. Per capita payments from the casino have contributed to internal struggles and to a long-running dispute with the federal government over unpaid taxes. "Estimates put their casino revenues at $72 million to $106 million a year, with tribal members each receiving around $100,000 a year," Sortal writes. Get the Story:
Nick Sortal: Miccosukees steer clear of politics (The Miami Herald 3/15)
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