On Monday a House Committee heard the gaming CEO of the Seminole Hard Rock hotels and casinos, James Allen, say that Florida could have US$288 million to use immediately if the legislature would ratify the Crist compact. At present the tribe’s expansion plans – including a 1,100-room guitar-shaped hotel in Hollywood – are on hold. According to Allen, Seminole projects would add US$4.5 billion to the state’s economy and create as many as 45,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled that Governor Charlie Crist did not have the authority to sign a gaming agreement with the Seminole Tribe. Since then the money owing to the state under the terms of the compact is being held until the issue is settled. The Seminole tribe maintains that the compact is a federal matter and has asked the US Supreme Court to review the Florida ruling.

Since Crist signed the compact six of the seven Seminole casinos have installed Class III gaming machines and banked card games such as blackjack have opened at the Hollywood and Tampa Hard Rock Casinos and at the casino in Immokalee. However many in the Republican-dominated House want to renegotiate the compact and remove the card games that are illegal in the rest of Florida. In the meantime the Seminole casinos continue to make the profits whilst the state has to find ways to trim its budget.
(E-02.04.09)

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