Probably not. But it's a moot point - the compact is not getting ratified by the state legislature and no gambling bill is getting passed either.

A lot of things happened pretty quick today.

Main Bill

List of Amendments


IMO, tomorrow the house is going to approve a bill that significantly matches up more with whats in the compact. It will then go to the Senate and eventually they will come to terms. I think the legislature realized how much money was at stake and that they weren't the ones that could tell the Seminoles what to do. The new stuff going around seems much more targeted at making something happen. This strike all has decoupling; limits the slots outside of MDC and Broward; DP games at some PMs; DFS.

Great article on gaming interests' donations to Florida politicians and PACs since November, 2014. Lists contributors, amts contributed, recipients, and amts received.

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/sto...lative-leaders

Florida Legislature rejects $3 billion gambling deal

Closed casket funeral for the new compact to be held in the Federal District Court.

A good synopsis of where things now stand:

SEMINOLE TRIBE’S LAWYER NOW WATCHING COURT CASES AFTER COMPACT’S DEMISE

Last year the Sands terminated all its efforts to get legislative approval of destination resort casinos in Florida. Instead, the Sands decided to concentrate its efforts in Georgia.

Today the Miami Herald reported that Genting is willing to entertain offers for the former Herald bay front property. I guess it too concluded that legislation approving of destination resort casinos in Florida is a "no go" for the foreseeable future.

Will such Florida legislation ever be enacted? Probably yes but again not in the foreseeable future. One event might accelerate the timeline, i. e., a 2008 like market collapse and recession.

Anyone been following/reading or have any takes on the Seminole v. State fight over the banked games?

It sounds like a mess and the state is going to lose. Seems like there is so much miscellaneous stuff going on in FL gaming that maybe the leg will actually do something this session? Off the top of my head there is the banked games, potential compact (or not), upcoming slots ruling, a budget deficit, proposed constitutional amendment to remove gaming from the leg, and I think I read something about Hialeah trying to stop racing?

It seems like going into the session the stage might be set for something to actually happen but knowing how its goes in FL it probably won't happen.

De-coupling --> one time!

I've been following the news. Like you say, it's a mess - business as usual for Florida. Could be that the courts or feds will force the Florida legislature to take action on a new compact. Seems like a post-election year is the best chance for something to actually get done.

The direction I think will largely be determined by the upcoming court ruling on slots expansion to more counties. If the court rules in favor of the pari-mutuels, granting slots wherever a county voter referendum favors it, it will be a whole new ballgame. We may see racinos throughout the state and no more compact with the Seminoles for exclusivity or revenue-sharing.

Federal court rules FL over reached with their table games, let's Seminoles have table games until 2030.

http://www.tbo.com/news/florida/semi...07d8cf41211326

This ruling drastically changes the bargaining positions of the state and the Seminoles. This coming session will be interesting for Florida gaming interests and this was a bad one to lose for the state going into it. We have this, the Gretna SC decision on slots (coming very soon IMO), all the confusing stuff with the DP games, de-coupling is still always there, issues with the horseman's groups, and a new make up in the legislature.

Like usual the interests will all fight each other and nothing will likely get done but it would be nice if something happened. With a budget deficit they are going to be looking for money anywhere and I assume someone on their staff will be like "hey, what happened to the 200 mil we used to get from the Seminoles?" Maybe they will try to get something new worked out.

The Gretna decision will be a big factor too. If Gretna comes out in favor of the PMs, allowing counties with voter referendums to have slots, the legislature will have to act because there just isn't enough in 551 as it currently exists. It doesn't mean they will because this is Florida but they should. If Gretna comes out against the PMs there really isn't any urgency to do anything regarding slots outside of trying to get something new going with the Seminoles.

What did the federal court ruling say about revenue-sharing under the current Seminole compact? Does the tribe have to continue revenue-sharing with the state for table games and slots, or just for slots, or none at all?

I'll try to find a version that is posted somewhere, its a pretty decent read for a court order.

The judge found that the compact contained an agreement that allowed the tribe to offer banked games for either five or twenty years depending on how things played out and because of how it played out (the state not maintaining exclusivity) they now have the right to offer them for 20 years without owing the state any money for that right.

I think they still have to make the minimum slot payments (at least until the SC allows other counties to have them) but the state loses out on all the extra money they were paying for the banked games and I assume the money they continued to pay that was placed in escrow. (? I feel like I read that somewhere).

In that case, the state will continue to receive somewhere in the neighborhood of $200M per year from the Tribe, as most of the tribal gambling revenue comes from slots play. Of course that revenue-sharing with the state may end altogether if the court in the Gretna case rules that the pari-mutuels anywhere in the state can get slots under current Florida law. And of course, that would weaken the Tribes bargaining power as then the state will replace that $200M/year in revenues from the Tribe with increased slot revenues from the PMs.

Any way you look at it, the gambling creep will continue in Florida, as well as the likelihood that the legislation won't pass any significant change to the gambling laws for casinos. The only changes to the laws that we as poker players might hope for is 24/7/365 cardroom hours for the PMs (which probably won't make a lot of difference in the hours the cardrooms are actually open) and de-coupling of Greyhound racing (so the PMs' poker revenues no longer have to subsidize Greyhound races, leaving more money for the rooms to put into their poker product).

I wonder though, should the court give slots to all the PMs, thereby breaking the State-Tribal Compact completely, if the Tribe might try delving into Internet gambling to replace the revenue stream they will lose through slots competition from the PMs. That might be the new battleground for gambling creep. Should the Florida legislature authorize Internet sales of lottery tickets, this for sure will be the Seminole response, imo.

Latest:http://floridapolitics.com/archives/...chard-corcoran

interesting

More info:

All bets are off

Apparently, the Seminoles and Gov Scott met on Monday.

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/...seminole-tribe

I find it hard to believe any negotiations will occur until the Florida Supreme Court issues its Gretna opinion. If the court rules in Gretna's favor, new racinos will open in many locations throughout Florida. Additionally, the terms of the Compacct re slots will be violated and the Seminoles may stop making any payments to the State and contine with the games they now have at their current locations.

Whatever the ultimate decisions are in the Gretna case and the appeal of the administrative law judge's decision in the Jacksonville "banked game" case, it's hard to imagine any expansion getting legislative approval given House Speaker Corcoran's background, beliefs, and pronouncements on the subject.

But there's no reason not to negotiate a compact now. If the court rules in Gretna's favor, there will still be the issue of exclusivity for at least roulette and craps for the Seminole casinos, if not also banked games. Besides, the court will probably rule in short order, so they might has well get a jump on negotiating a compact.

The state will eventually receive much more in revenues from slots throughout the state at the pari-mutuels than the current revenue sharing from the Seminoles, so that part of the compact isn't a financial issue for the state.

A new compact could be negotiated now to say:

1. Slots revenue sharing unless more pari-mutuels get slots.
2. Banked games exclusivity and revenue sharing, as long as a new law is passed to ensure exclusivity.
3. Craps and roulette revenue sharing and exclusivity.

#3 is the only expansion of gambling. #2 would be viewed as a cork in gambling expansion, and a justification for #3 as the only leverage the state has now in compact negotiations.

Major Gambling Proposal Emerges In Florida Senate

The proposed changes in regards to poker include:

Cardrooms can be open 24/7/365.
De-coupling from greyhound racing.
Player-banked games are allowed.

Thanks for the update PX. I'm kind of surprised they have this kind of a bill so far ahead of session. Might be a good sign. Seems like they actually want to get something worked out. IMO this bill will have to be amended pretty substantially to go anywhere and I kind of wish some of the DFS/Lottery stuff was in a separate bill so the poker stuff doesn't get hung because of those other things.

The bill as written is a huge expansion of gambling in Florida. As you say, it won't survive without a lot of amendment. There seems to be a political will in the legislature to pass something this year though, so we'll probably see at least 24/7/365 for cardrooms and maybe some de-coupling from dog racing.

Personally, I'd like to see the player-banked games squashed at the cardrooms. It takes away too much gambling money from the live poker games, imo.

I agree about killing banked games. Why would the Seminole do any deal that allowed them is beyond me. This early action seems like posturing to keep the tribe from effectively establishing the baseline

Business as usual in Florida:

Florida House and Senate on different gambling tracks

but with an optimistic twist:

Having just read the Florida House bill for a new compact with the Seminole tribe, I have to conclude that it is diametrically opposed to the Senate bill.

The Senate bill allows for a huge expansion of gambling:

All the pari-mutuels in counties that have already approved slots by voter referendum can have slots.
Player-banked card games allowed at the pari-mutuels.
An additional slots license in Miami-Dade.
De-coupling of pari-mutuel cardrooms from Greyhound racing.
Blackjack at the pari-mutuels in South Florida.
Seminoles get craps and roulette.

Meanwhile, the House bill imposes new restrictions on the pari-mutuels via a pre-written new Seminole compact:

No new slots at the pari-mutuels.
No new slot licenses.
Defunct pari-mutuel licenses have to be retired.
No de-coupling of greyhound racing allowed.
No player-banked games allowed at the pari-mutuels.
No blackjack or other casino gaming allowed at the pari-mutuels, other than the already approved slot licenses.
No craps or roulette at the Seminole casinos, except of slot machines that simulate the games.

It's ground zero all over again for the battle between gambling and anti-gambling proponents.

latest and interesting.

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/...minole-compact