Casino Gambling Talks Between Florida and Seminoles at Impasse
The state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe find their negotiations over a legislated casino gambling compact to be stalled. Wording in the law that might allow the state to change gaming conditions without voiding the deal has become a sticking point which the two sides can't seem to bypass.
Further, time has become an issue, as Governor Charlie Crist is only allowed to continue negotiations through the end of August, by legislative decree. Meanwhile, both sides have sat idly with no new suggestions for almost two weeks.
The Seminoles are in agreement with much of the measure, which gives them exclusive rights to slots in Florida, other than in Broward and Dade counties, and exclusive rights to certain table games, including blackjack, in those counties. But a loophole apparently allows the state to expand gambling in the future without requiring the deal be reworked from scratch.
The bill does require the tribe to pay $150 million or more annually for its gaming privileges, and lawmakers say payments could be rearranged if state gambling laws change in the future. But the tribe says that's not satisfactory, and any expansion of casino gambling should result in the bill becoming void.
George LeMieux, a close associate of Crist's who is on the state negotiating team, warned legislators that failure to close a deal may mean the federal government granting the tribe unlimited gaming, without any payment made to the state.
But state Representative Bill Galvano disagreed, saying legislators worked hard and compromised enough to reach the bill's present version.
"We don’t view it as an opportunity to renegotiate what was presented,’’ Galvano told the Herald-Times.
