CASINO GAMBLING
Florida Senate OK's Seminole gambling deal
A gambling agreement between the state and the Seminole Tribe passed
the Senate and heads to the House for a vote next week.
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
TALLAHASSEE -- With a swift 29-9 vote and little debate, the Senate
Thursday approved gambling legislation that ratifies an agreement
between Florida and the Seminole Tribe, sending the bill to the House
for a vote next week.

The bill is expected to become law in time for the state to bank $435
million for its budget.

Gov. Charlie Crist and the tribe signed the agreement a week ago,
after nearly three years of negotiations, two failed previous attempts
at a gambling compact and a month of back room negotiations.

The measure gives the tribe slot machines at seven casinos on its
reservations, and blackjack and two other card games in Broward, Tampa
and Immokalee. The agreement prohibits roulette and craps at the
tribe's casinos.

In exchange, the tribe agrees to guarantee the state at least $1
billion in revenues over the next five years and share its revenues
from slot machines for 20 years. The legislation will also reduce the
tax rate on the casinos at horse and dog tracks and jai ali frontons
in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in an effort to make it easier for
them to compete with the growing Seminole gambling presence.

``This is a good bill. We've had gaming in this state for 85 years,''
said Sen. Dennis Jones, a Seminole Republican, who led the Senate
negotiations with the tribe. He called the tribe ``good partners who
are willing to pay the state $1 billon.''

The tribe has sought a gambling agreement with Florida for more than
20 years, and Jones said this ``basically puts this issue to rest.''

Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Tampa, disagreed. She warned that the bill will
destroy families, increase crime and lead more Floridians to gambling
addiction. She unsuccessfully attempted to amend the bill to require
that 1 percent of the state revenues go into treatment for compulsive
gamblers.

Jones said the measure wasn't needed since the Seminoles and other
gambling entities already contribute $3 million a year for compulsive
and addicted gamblers. The Senate rejected the idea on a voice vote.
``This is a sad day in the state of Florida when the Florida
Legislature won't even fund treatment,'' Storms said.

The bill also gives local governments in Broward County that are
affected by the tribe's casinos 3 percent of the revenue sharing,
starting July 1.

The House is expected to take up the bill on Monday and send it to the
governor for his signature.

Mary Ellen Klas can be reached at mek...@miamiherald.com