In Florida, the political committee Voters In Charge recently submitted 212,993 valid signatures to the state Division of Elections in an effort to place a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2018 ballot. If passed, the amendment give voters the “exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling” in the state in the future. Organizers must submit a total of 766,200 valid signatures for the issue to reach the ballot.
This spring, the Florida Supreme Court approved the proposal’s ballot wording, the first step in the process of allowing a referendum on the issue.
In August, the Walt Disney Company gave $500,000 to Voters in Charge; the company donated $250,000 earlier this year. Since April, Disney has contributed more than $1 million—more than 80 percent of the total donations.
The anti-gambling expansion group No Casinos Inc. also has been supporting the drive to place the proposed amendment on the ballot. The group has stated more casinos would lead to more gambling addiction.
