"A $3 billion resort on Miami's waterfront that could include a casino? Florida's gambling prospects certainly have gotten a lot more ambitious since a constitutional amendment in 2004 paved the way for pari-mutuel casinos.
Then again, a persistent economic decline has dropped state revenues like a rock, so to speak, jacked up unemployment to 10.7 percent and changed attitudes. As such, the Legislature, which would have to approve legislation permitting more gambling expansion, is gearing up for quite an onslaught of bills and lobbying. The Seminole Tribe warns an expansion would violate the $200 million compact negotiated with the state. The pari-mutuels also want the right to develop destination casinos. Then there are companies like Las Vegas Sands and Genting Malaysia seeking to build casino metropolises. And we thought the battle over redistricting was going to draw a lot of combatants." Get the Story: