Casino Slots Voted In For Miami-Dade County Racetracks
Miami-Dade voters approved Las Vegas style slot machines at three of the county's existing race tracks by a margin of 2-1.
Voters living in Miami-Dade county cast 63% yes votes to approve allowing Flagler Dog Track, Calder Race Cource and Miami Jai-Alai to install and operate slot machines.
The leaders of the Republican Party met with defeat even with a last minute push by former governor Jeb Bush, and House Speaker Marco Rubio. Other opponents included religious groups, social conservatives and also former governor Bob Graham.
Opponents were insisting that bringing additional gambling to the area would increase crime and traffic while rewarding special interest groups. as well as the risk of changing the very nature of South Florida.
Voters saw through this and the moral issue brought on by consertive and religious groups by citing the fact that Broward County, their neighbor to the north, have those very same gambling options and there has been no discernable change in crime statistics or moral decay.
Miami-Dade county, like most other areas of the country are experiencing great deficits in funding for education, social services, and infrastructure. This is a way for the county to raise revenue to supplement these issues without the burden of additional taxing of the community.
This new endeavor by the three racetracks will increase the job market by approximately 6,000 new jobs, it will increase tourism. It will contribute to education.
The opponents often say that gambling is a tax on the people that can least afford it, yet this has been proven untrue as many millions of Americans, and now even foreigners, will be able to direct their discretionary recreational money onshore at local racinos instead of taking day trips to nowhere on the open seas to gamble, or travel to Broward County to avail themselves of this activity.
It was a smart move by Miami voters, estimates are that the first year in operations, these facilities will contribute an additional $210 million in new revenue for the State.
All three facilities are planning major renovations to their properties that will make them more attractive and user friendly to attract the new business, and it will also increase jobs in the construction industry.
