Thursday, 10 November 2011

More than 50 percent of Floridians approve of gambling expansion

More than 50 percent of Florida residents support the gambling expansion reached recently between the state and Seminole Tribe, according to a Quinnipiac Poll released this week.
The poll found 63 percent want the Legislature to approve the pact.

The Seminole Tribe is saying allowing it to move forward would result in the creation of 45,000 new jobs and help Florida’s ailing budget.

The Seminole Tribe owns Orlando-based Hard Rock International , hotels and casinos in Hollywood and Tampa and five Florida casinos in Coconut Creek and Hollywood on the Southeast coast, in Immokalee near Naples, Fla., on the Brighton Reservation north of Lake Okeechobee and on the Big Cypress Reservation south of Lake Okeechobee.


The agreement, signed in November 2008, will allow the tribe to install Las Vegas-style slot machines and card games in their casinos in exchange for $375 million over the first three years of the agreement, and at least $100 million per year after that.

However, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Charlie Crist did not have the authority to sign the pact.  The state Supreme Court is notorious for power grabs, which are, however, overturned by other court bodies.

For example, back in 2000, Al Gore lost his appeal to continue election recounts in every court in which he appeared -- including the Supreme Court of the U.S. -- save for the Florida Supreme Court.

Most likely, Crist will prevail in his plan to expand Indian gambling in Florida.


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