Gambling in Florida is already going through lot of legal issues and the road seems to be much longer. However in a recent move it seems that the clouds of uncertainty are getting cleared. Recently, the proposed legislation after being introduced less than two weeks ago that would expand gambling in Florida and renegotiate the southern state’s stalled compact with the casino operating Seminole Tribe of Florida has reportedly been passed unchanged by an influential Florida State Senate committee.
As per the reports from the Miami Herald newspaper, the proposed measure, which is known as Senate Bill 8, was sponsored by Florida State Senator Bill Galvano and comes as the state is continuing its long-running legal battle with the Seminole Tribe Of Florida over the group’s right to exclusively offer “banked” card games such as blackjack. If ratified by both chambers of the state’s legislature and signed into law by Republican governor Rick Scott, Senate Bill 8 would reportedly license a pair of new slots-only casinos for Miami-Dade County and Broward County while permitting existing gambling facilities in the two counties to offer up to 25 blackjack tables.
In addition this the Miami Herald also reported that Galvano’s measure would allow slots to be licensed at facilities in Brevard County, Duval County, Gadsden County, Hamilton County, Lee County, Palm Beach County, St Lucie County and Washington County from January of 2018 while reducing the state-wide tax rate on the machines by 10% to 25%.
Galvano told the newspaper after the Senate Bill 8 passed through the Florida Senate Regulated Industries Committee on Wednesday. “Sure it’s about gaming but it’s also about creating stability for a dubious marketplace,” “It’s about establishing predictability for our state budget. It’s about protecting programs that exist in our state and creating funding opportunities.”
Galvano further shared with the newspaper that Senate Bill 8 would immediately allow the state to access around $200 million of this money from the Seminole Tribe Of Florida currently sitting in escrow along with the tribe’s expected first-year payment of $325 million while he expected annual duty revenues after that to hit approximately $450 million.
“It’s a significant dollar amount and a comprehensive approach to move us forward on this journey,” the Republican told the newspaper. The Miami Herald reported that Galvano’s legislation would also legalize the running of daily fantasy sports contests under the regulation of a new Office Of Amusements within the Florida Department Of Business And Professional Regulation with operators required to pay a license fee of up to $500,000. Another provision would reduce taxes on pari-mutuel venues, particularly those offering greyhound races, while instituting more stringent injury reporting protocols.
