Florida AG McCollum Playing Politics With Seminole Gambling?

McCollum has acted to prevent the play already ongoing at several Seminole casinos, even as money is set aside to pay the state.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has requested that the federal government prosecute the Seminole Tribe for continuing to operate blackjack and other table games at their casinos. The Seminoles were granted the gaming rights under a compact reached with Governor Charlie Crist and approved by the Department of the Interior, only to have the agreement overturned by the state Supreme Court.

The Tribe's stance is that the only jurisdiction over it belongs to the federal government, which has given its blessing to the compact. While the governor tries to convince the legislature to approve his deal, which would give the state hundreds of millions from an otherwise untaxable source, McCollum has acted to prevent the play already ongoing at several Seminole casinos, even as money is set aside to pay the state.

Some speculation has arisen that McCollum may want to make a bigger political name for himself, and is using the Seminole affair to generate publicity. US Republican Senator Mel Martinez has announced he will not seek re-election, and the Washington Post has named McCollum among candidates for the Senate seat.

By opposing Crist's gambling deal, McCollum courts the favor of Jeb Bush-style socially conservative Republicans, a numerous group in the northern half of the state. Crist, an enormously popular governor, may be seen by the right wing of his party as too issue-oriented and not concerned enough with ideology.

Is it worth risking $375 million over the next three years the gambling compact would earn Florida? Apparently McCollum thinks so, and his decision has already had an affect. Insiders at Seminole Gaming say the Tribe has halted plans to continue to open table games at its other casinos, until the legal issues are resolved.

While full casino gambling will continue at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, as well as at the Seminole casinos in Tampa and Immolakee, blackjack wil be denied patrons at the other three locations, preventing those casinos from amassing revenue to fund state coffers. This is an interesting way to broaden one's political appeal.