Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the appointment of Julie Imanuel Brown, Michael Yaworsky and Charles Drago to the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC), the new panel that will oversee gaming in the state beginning in July.
Brown was named to chair the commission, and Yaworsky was named as vice-chair.
Brown, of Tampa, is secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Previously, she spent 10 years on the Florida Public Service Commission, serving as chairwoman from 2016 to 2018.
Brown is a graduate of Leadership Florida, served on the Florida Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and is a former president of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations and juris doctor from the University of Florida. Brown is appointed to a four-year term.
Yaworsky, of Tallahassee, is chief of staff at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Previously, he was legal counsel to the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, counsel to the Georgia Senate President Pro Tempore, and chief of staff at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Yaworsky earned his bachelor’s degree in social science from Florida State University and juris doctor from Samford University. He is appointed to a four-year term.
Drago, of Chuluota, is the founder and president of Drago Professional Consultants. Previously, he was secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and chief of police for the city of Oviedo. He spent 29 years with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, working his way up from a patrol officer to assistant chief of police. Drago earned his associate’s degree in criminal justice from the State University of New York and bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from St. Thomas University. He is appointed to a three-year term.
The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
The FGCC was established in May through Senate Bill 4, passed during a special session called to ratify the amended gaming compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
In addition to having regulatory authority over the state’s tribal gaming compacts, the newly created commission will also oversee parimutuel operators, card rooms, slot parlors, and other forms of gaming allowed by the state constitution, excluding the Florida Lottery.
SB4 calls for the FGCC to have five members. In addition to the five commissioners, the agency will also have an executive director. The commissioners must appoint a director by April 1. An inspector general will also be appointed by Brown.
The commission will officially launch on July 1. The law also calls for the creation of an enforcement division, the Florida Division of Gaming Enforcement.
