Seminoles Take a Gamble, Table Games are the Stakes

Gambling News - August 10th, 2009 - Written by Glen

For months on end, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has been attempting to reach an agreement with Governor Charlie Crist. The agreement would allow the Tribe to continue having blackjack tables at the casinos on their land, while giving a cut of their revenue to the state. The two parties, however, have been unable to reach a compromise that both would be content with.

The Indian Gaming and Regulatory Act of 1988 allowed Native Americans to create gambling dens on their land, provided the State itself comes to an agreement, commonly referred to as compact, with the Tribe. The legal issues vary state by state, with each allowing a different sort of game to take place. The Seminoles have had blackjack since 2007, but if they wish to keep these tables they must come to terms with the current Florida regime.

Though the compacts are deemed necessary, the tribes can appeal to the federal government. This is a double edged sword however, in that federal interdiction could lead to positive results or a complete removal of the blackjack tables and other banked table games. Under the original compact, as designed and subsequently overturned in 2007, at least $375 million dollars would be infused into the State of Florida over the first three years. beyond those three years, the State was set to receive between 10 and 25% of the annual revenues of the Seminole's casinos.

This all changed, however, when the State's Supreme Court ruled that Crist was unable to allow table games without the support of the Florida Legislature.

So now, back to square one. The state legislators and the tribe must come to an agreement, lest they stop their table type gaming. The Tribe wants exclusivity and full blown casino gaming. State legislators want to remove the exclusivity and limit the types of games available at the casinos. Time is dwindling on the issue, and if they do not move forward soon, then the Tribe, and subsequently the State, could see much less gaming revenue.

There are many interests in the issue, as the pari-mutuel gaming centers throughout the state watch their futures hang in the balance of the two entities currently engaged in ideological warfare. Players who enjoy the table games will also have stakes in this, as will the education system - gambling is one of the major sources of funds for Florida's education system.

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