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Florida bills would expand gambling

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- As reported by The Miami Herald: "Florida would give the Seminole Tribe roulette wheels, crap tables and full-fledged Las Vegas style casinos while its competitors get blackjack or electronic bingo machines within their facilities under bills introduced Tuesday by the Senate's chief gambling negotiator.

"The two bills, sponsored by Senate Regulated Industries Chairman Dennis Jones, lay the groundwork for the Senate position on the Seminole Indian gambling compact against a more anti-gambling House. Lawmakers are writing their only guidelines for the compact after a court invalidated the one signed by the tribe and Gov. Charlie Crist because he didn't have the authority to give the tribes banked card games.

"Jones' proposal not only authorizes Florida's ailing parimutuel industry to sweep up more casino games to compete with the tribe's Hard Rock casinos, it capitalizes on existing facilities by giving them more games in return for more cash. Senate analysts project it will produce $1 billion a year in annual revenue that would be dedicated to education.

"Jones said the gambling cash could allow legislators to avoid having to raise the property tax rate to pay for schools in order to offset the 12 percent drop in property values..."

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