Seminole Tribe turns attention to courts after gaming deal falters


Blackjack tables at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida. Photo from Facebook

The Seminole Tribe is monitoring lawsuits in the federal and state courts after its Class III gaming compact failed to gain approval, Florida Politics reports.

In the federal case, the tribe is accusing the state of failing to negotiate in "good faith" as required by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. A separate case in state court could affect the exclusivity promised to the tribe, which could in turn affect revenue sharing payments with the state.

The tribe is “waiting to see what happens at the Florida Supreme Court and at federal court in Tallahassee and to see if those outcomes motivate the Legislature to act. In the meantime, the table games will continue," a spokesperson told Florida Politics.

The tribe promised to share $3 billion and create more than 15,000 jobs as part of an agreement that the Legislature failed to ratify.

The tribe already shared $1 billion with the state under a 2010 compact. A provision authorizing blackjack expired last fall but the tribe continues to offer the game, as the spokesperson noted.

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Seminole Tribe’s lawyer now watching court cases after Compact’s demise (Florida Politics 3/23)

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