No, I don't see that anywhere in either the 2007 compact or the 2009 compact. The compacts don't forbid the tribe from giving away free alcohol. They just have to have various safeguards to prevent underage drinking and drunk driving.

I just don't understand why the limits haven't changed, the SB 788 was voted on and passed in early June. It really has nothing to do with the Seminoles other the it raised the age from 18 to 21, it has nothing to do with BJ or other table games.

I really can not stand playing this no-fold-em hold-em any more.

In SB788, all the changes to the pari-mutuel laws, including the changes to poker, were contingent upon completion of a compact with the Seminole tribe. No ratified compact = no changes to poker. Read the OP in this thread for more information.

So realistically, what are the odds of having 'REAL' poker in FL by the next summer?

Dude I know it's hard, but you only gotta swim through 20-25 posts to see where things are at. The state's willing to change the laws, but the changes were written into SB788, which appears DOA. There's talk of separating them pari-mutual (including poker) and Indian gaming, but Charley doesn't want that, he wants to keep them tied together for added leverage so he can sell us out to the Seminoles.

Bottom line is it'll likely be a few monhs before anything solid comes out.

Thanks for the reply! I have been browsing this thread on and off; was actually just looking for someone like PX to give his best guesstimate for the odds, like 5:3 or w/e....

Yeah, I know. I'm just not ready to do so. There was supposedly going to be a meeting of the Florida legislative committee this month that deals with the compact, et al. I've been waiting for it to show up on the agenda, but nothing so far. If they meet, we'll have some sort of indication of the direction that the legislature will take on this issue. The possibilities are:

Vote on ratification of the new compact.
Attempt to once again renegotiate the compact.
Introduce a new bill with just the pari-mutuel changes from SB788.
Introduce a new bill with the pari-mutuel changes from SB788 plus further gambling expansion at the pari-mutuels.
Introduce a new bill with some of the pari-mutuel changes from SB788, plus county-by-county option to expand to full casino gambling by voter referendum.
Put a county-by-county option to expand to full casino gambling by voter referendum to a state-wide vote on the 2010 ballot.

My recommendation: Vote now and ratify the new compact. This will give the state immediately the millions of dollars that the tribe set aside under the old compact, plus put in place the consumer protections imposed on the tribe by the compact. It will also enact the pari-mutuel changes under SB788. Then, introduce legislation in the spring, or put it on the fall ballot, to give a county-by-county option to expand to full casino gambling by voter referendum. If passed, the state will lose the Seminole revenue-sharing, but will replace the revenues with taxation on the new non-tribal casinos (or expansion of many of the pari-mutuels into Class III gaming) and the consumer protections at the tribal casinos under the compact will remain in place.

Edit: If you pin me down, I'll admit to be at about 80% right now that we'll have uncapped poker by July 1, 2010. But, I reserve the right to revise that dramatically depending on what Galvano says after the next meeting of the committee.

hey, 80% on the flop aint bad...

PX: I agree with you. At least we can take the money that is in escrow now. It looks like we are waiting til next year though:

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news...broad_new.html

"House gambing guru Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, ended any talk about a gambling special session Monday, saying the House would put together a reworked, broad gambling package for consideration in the regular session that begins in March."

Seems Galvano changed his tune and is now pro-gaming. I agree 80% chance we see upcapped poker in 2010.

Okay - that's the word I was waiting for. You can boost my confidence that we'll have uncapped poker by July 1, 2010 back up into the 90's percentile. It looks like the issues will go before the legislature as bills, rather than any ballot initiative. And it looks like it will all be about who in the state (not the tribes) gets Class III gaming, how much they get and how it will be taxed and regulated.

As I've stated a few times, this is all about full casino gaming at at least the three South Florida counties, and possibly elsewhere. I don't think Galvano was really anti-gambling expansion in the first place. Just ask youself this question to get at the truth: if the lead legislators of the compact committee were anti-gambling expansion, why did they refuse to put true exclusivity in the compact?

P.S. Yes, go ahead and grab up some prime beachfront development real estate in South Florida. Remember me when you cash out.

That is the most logical move you would think, but the government is anything but logical. These are the same people that gave us no limit poker with a limit.

Another article today in the Sun Sentinel This is about the Palm Beach Kennel Club.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/pal...0,611754.story

Whatever they do, aint **** happening until July

back to free drinks/sorry i got to get out more...

the state rule as i know it is that gamblers can't get anything that everyone else can't get. i.e. if the whole casino has $1 well drinks, then players get it, too... the idea is not to encourage gambling/why do that in a casino?

i'll call seminoles and ask what the deal is; they had a weekend promo a few months ago where the gave free drinks to players at the hard rock, and seminole classic advertised it in their casino. didn't know about coconut creek/anyone have more info?

i'll get on it wed or thur, i hope.

px, congrats on the new gig, and keep it up!

Nick

Yes, Nick, congrats to PX. Great move on PPA's movement.