Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled the state of Florida broke its deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida by allowing pari-mutuels to offer electronic versions of blackjack. As a result, the tribe can continue to offer blackjack and other banked card games at its casinos through 2030, even though the tribe’s 2010 gaming compact with the state had expired.
Now Florida Senate President Joe Negron said he’s confident a new compact could be negotiated with the tribe and approved during the 2017 legislative session, which starts in March. “I’m optimistic that we can work together with our House colleagues and ratify a compact, hopefully long-term enough so that the state has predictability in revenue and that’s also fair to parimutuels, who are also involved in gaming throughout Florida,” Negron said.
Like the 2010 compact, which brought Florida more than $200 million per year, under a new deal the tribe could make payments to the state in exchange for exclusive rights to offer certain games at its casinos.
“Of course, it’s November, there’s plenty of time. We were close to having the outline of a potential agreement last session, so it’s not as if we’re starting from scratch,” Negron added.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran said although the tribe benefited from Hinkle’s ruling, which “marginally” lessened the state’s negotiating position, the Seminoles still should negotiate a new deal with the state. “What they need is long-term stability. And so they’re going to still come to the table, they’re going to still want that long-term stability, and we’ll see. We’ll have that negotiation and we’ll have that work itself through.” Corcoran added, in order to pass the House, any gambling legislation must be “very conservative. It’s going to have to be a reduction in gambling. And it’s going to have to give us some long-term stability so the special-interest and the gaming-group guys can’t regroup, come back and get what they couldn’t get the first year.”
During the last legislative session, Governor Rick Scott and tribal representatives negotiated a new deal for continued rights to blackjack in exchange for $3 billion over seven years in revenue share to the state. The agreement also would have allowed the tribe to also offer craps and roulette. Some legislators also added measures to help parimutuels by allowing those outside South Florida to offer slots and card games. But the agreement never made it to the House or Senate for a vote.
“You have to get a plan through the committee process and onto the floor for a vote, and then people can vote as they choose. In the past, we don’t get far along in the process for everyone’s view to be heard,” Negron said.
