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Editorial: Renew Class III gaming compact with Seminole Tribe

The state’s gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe has generated over $1 billion in revenues over the past five years and helped to prevent the spread of big-money games and high-end, Las Vegas-style resorts in Florida.

While we’re no fan of gambling, the Seminole Compact, which allows for slot machines, blackjack and certain other card games at five of the tribe’s seven Florida casinos, offers the state its best option if it wants to keep gambling in check.

But competing interests are now threatening to either weaken or eliminate the compact as the five-year deal giving the Seminoles exclusivity for those games nears its end. When they meet next year, lawmakers should resist the pressure from out-of-state casino interests and work with Gov. Rick Scott to renew the Seminole Compact.

Florida entered into the deal in 2010 as a way to generate revenue for an activity that would more than likely have been allowed with or without the state’s consent.