Federal Judge Permits Seminole Blackjack to Continue
The battle to determine at what facilities blackjack and other table games will be played in Florida continued with a decision yesterday by a federal judge allowing the Seminole Tribe to retain their games, at least until the next voice is heard.
A system which had fairly distinct rules and organization was thrown into chaos a week ago by the Florida Supreme Court, which ruled that Governor Charlie Crist's compact with the tribe giving them exclusive rights to table games was invalid, as the governor could not legally make such a deal without legislative approval.
But the federal government had already approved the pact and placed it in the federal register, and the Seminoles do not recognize any state authority on their land.
Meanwhile, Pompano Park, a harness track and slot casino run by Isles of Capri, had brought a suit against the governor and the state, trying to prevent being put at a disadvantage to indian casinos with table games. This suit was settled by U.S. District Judge Stephan McKie yesterday, who declared that, even though the suit did not name the tribe, it must be considered as a part of the complaint.
As federal law does not allow tribes to be sued, the movement to stop play at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino is temporarily at an impasse; blackjack continues to be dealt, while payments to the state as arranged by the compact have been suspended.
The tribe has said it will abide by any rulings by the Department of the Interior; but officials from the federal government made it clear that they would prefer a negotiated solution between the legislature, the governor, and the tribe.
Meanwhile, blackjack is played on water three miles off the coast, at the Hard Rock casino,... but not at the racinos struggling to survive.
