Last March Circuit Judge Karen Gievers in Tallahassee struck down the Florida Lottery’s 0 million, multi-year contract for new draw and scratch-off ticket equipment, in-store signage, self-service ticket checkers and upgraded security in the communications network.
Gievers agreed with House Speaker Richard Corcoran that the Lottery had gone on an illegal spending spree, and ruled because then-Lottery Secretary Tom Delacenserie “lacked the legal authority to enter into the International Game Technology contract, it must, therefore, be found to be void and unenforceable.” Gievers also agreed with House General Counsel Adam Tanenbaum who said the deal broke state law by going “beyond the Lottery’s existing budget limitations.”
The Lottery challenged Gievers’ ruling and recently the 1st District Court of Appeal granted an extension to “on or before July 7” to file its initial brief. The Lottery said the legislature cannot “micromanage individual contracts.” It noted the state’s “invitation to negotiate” for the contract contains a disclosure required by state law that any deal would be contingent on “an annual appropriation” from lawmakers.
