The Florida House Select Committee on Indian Compact Review has been hearing from the Seminole tribe and the racino operators as the debate continues over verification of the Governor Charlie Crist compact. The creation of jobs is being used by both sides as they attempt to persuade legislators to relax attitudes to gambling.

The Seminole tribe is promising as many as 45,000 new jobs over the next ten years if their gambling compact with Crist is ratified and their Hard Rock Casinos and entertainment centres are able to expand. The owners of the Broward County and Miami-Dade horse and dog tracks and jai alai frontons say if they are given a level playing field to compete with the Seminole casinos, through lower taxation and banked card games, they would create 23,000 construction jobs and 32,000 direct jobs in the gaming industry.

Florida, like most US states, is presently struggling to balance its budget. As the lawmakers debate the issue of the Crist compact, which if passed would certainly alleviate Florida’s financial problems, the racing industry is suffering a rapid decline through lack of funding. The slot machines at the pari-mutuel locations have not done as well as expected in the face of taxation at 50% and competition from the tribal casinos, and operators have not been able to subsidise race purses as planned.

In a public relations campaign the Seminoles have launched a new website jobsforflorida.com and a television advertisement in Tallahassee to push for legislators to sign the gambling compact, which would give the state US$100 million a year for 25 years. The compact at present is stalled, with the Florida Supreme Court having ruled that Crist exceeded his authority and the compact is invalid, and the Federal government having authorised it.

Seminole Gaming CEO James Allen commented, ''The horse racing industry and the dog racing industry in the United States has been in trouble for many, many years and we're hopeful that that does not become a situation which muddies the water of the legalities of the compact itself.'' State legislators will consider recommendations from the Select Committee when the new session starts on 3 March. (E-02.25.09)

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