The Seminole Tribe of Florida has been running a 30-second TV ad encouraging the public to tell Governor Rick Scott and state lawmakers to “Get It Done”—that is, renew the Seminole Compact which contains an exclusivity provision allowing the tribe to offer blackjack and other banked card games at seven of its Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos, in exchange for billion over five years to the state.
The ad states over the past five years, “Seminoles have already delivered 20,000 jobs and more than $1 billion. Now a new compact is on the table with 15,000 more jobs in the largest revenue share in history. Yet, after years of hearings and negotiations, still no answer, despite overwhelming public support.” The ad concludes Florida faces “real risk”– a huge expansion of Vegas-style gambling throughout the state–if the compact is not renewed. “We’ve waited long enough,” it states.
Signed in 2010, the compact provision ended July 31, and the 90-day grace period allowing for renegotiation and structured mediation also has ended. Recently the state filed a lawsuit in Tampa federal court alleging the tribe was violating state and federal law by continuing to offer the banked card games. Ken Lawson, secretary of Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation, said, “As of today, under the existing compact, the Seminole Tribe of Florida is now illegally operating their banked card games. In accordance with the existing compact, the state is asking the court to order the tribe to cease operations.” The tribe said despite the lawsuit it will continue to offer the card games.
The Seminoles also hired lobbyists Floridian Partners to take their case to Scott and the Florida legislature. The firm’s previous client was Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands. Adelson recently shifted his destination-casino focus from South Florida to Atlanta. A Sands lobbyist said, “As long as the Seminole tribe is influencing the gaming landscape, there will never be room for us.”
