As of November 21, the Florida political committee Voters In Charge had submitted 415,596 valid petition signatures toward placing a gambling initiative on the November 2018 ballot, according to the Florida Division of Elections. The Voter Control of Gambling amendment would give voters the “exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling” in the state, meaning voters, not lawmakers, would approve casino-style games in the future.
The proposal needs 766,200 signatures to be placed on the ballot, and all signatures must be verified by February 1, 2018.
Voters In Charge said October has been its “strongest fundraising and petition gathering month to date,” with nearly 200,000 petitions collected and $1.55 million raised. Also in October, the group received significant contributions from the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Disney Worldwide.
Voters in Charge Chairman John Sowinski said, “We are pleased that the Seminole Tribe of Florida responded favorably to our request to support our Voter Control of Gambling amendment, which gives Florida voters, not politicians or bureaucrats, the ultimate authority to approve gambling in Florida.”
Currently, state law only allows casinos in Broward and Miami-Dade counties and on tribal lands controlled by the Seminoles and the Miccosukee Tribe.
