Governor Charlie Crist of Florida was thrown a curve ball last week when Senator Mel Martinez decided that he was stepping down from his office. That left Crist having to find a replacement for the job he is running for next year.
On top of that, the end of a negotiating period with the Seminole Indians on a new gambling compact is drawing near. The final days have arrived, and Crist and the Seminoles are pressured to get something done.
The problem for Crist is that he has not been given much wiggle room from lawmakers. The House has been firm in their ideas that the expansion should not include exclusivity for the Seminole Indians. The House also does not want full fledged casino gambling.
Those are two areas that the Seminoles seem intent on getting their way. They want the rights to blackjack, which is currently offered in the deal, but also craps and roulette. The latter two have not been offered, but there is still a chance that the Seminoles would agree to a deal without those games.
In order for that to happen, the Seminoles want to pay the state less money from the revenue generated. This is another sticking point that lawmakers are not inclined to agree with. The Seminoles, however, believe that if no deal is done, they may win the rights legally to have the expanded gambling without having to pay the state any of the revenue.
Crist has been the steady hand behind these negotiations. He already has successfully negotiated a compact back in 2007 with the Seminoles, but the state Supreme Court voided the compact, claiming Crist did not have the authority to negotiate the compact solely.
The deadline to complete a deal is now two weeks away, and with the clock ticking, the time has come for final negotiations. Residents of Florida will be watching closely, as will state pari-mutuels. The future of all their gambling fates lie in the hands of the governor and the Seminoles.
August 10, 2009
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com