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Miami’s Magic City Casino Finally Wins Right To Replace Dog Track With Jai Alai

Sierra Kennedy — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 19:55:00 +0000

Miami, FL. - If you’ve ever been to a Florida dog track, you’ll understand why “decoupling” the cavorting canines from the gaming that goes on indoors has been a longstanding yearly gambit by operators throughout the state. In short, the business of dog racing is a losing proposition, bolstered by more traditional slots and card gaming, and the government spends more on regulating the animal aspect than the poor man’s ponies actually generate in taxable revenue. It’s bad for the taxpayer, bad for the businesses, and – in a rare trifecta – bad for the state.

To that end, Magic City Casino in Miami has finally received a six-years-in-the-making go-ahead to drop the dogs and replace them with a different pari-mutuel event. So if you like betting on dudes slinging weird goatskin balls out of giant wicker hook-hands at around 200 miles per hour, you’ll soon be able to get your jai alai jollies in south Florida.

Unfortunately, while Magic City is the first track in the state to successfully navigate the regulatory nonsense around such a transition, it could be the only one to enjoy that level of success for the foreseeable future. Other Florida dog tracks, like Broward County’s Mardi Gras Casino and Racetrack, haven’t had much luck following in Magic City’s footsteps.

All that said, do not make the mistake that jai alai is some sort of hugely sought-after bettor’s dream. It isn’t. The general consensus is that, like the dogs, nobody really cares about it, and the game is only attractive to casinos and tracks as a much cheaper pari-mutuel alternative to dog racing, costing far less to host and maintain. If businesses and bettors had their ways, jai alai probably wouldn’t even exist anymore. But until the pari-mutuel aspect of Florida dog tracks is no longer a government prerequisite to operate a gambling site in the state, expect a continued push to replace the muzzled critters with the cheaper alternative for sportsbetting in Florida.

The post Miami’s Magic City Casino Finally Wins Right To Replace Dog Track With Jai Alai first appeared on SportsBettingInFlorida.com.

Florida Sports Betting Could Be On The Table

Daniel Borjas — Sat, 18 May 2019 19:46:00 +0000

Lawmakers are planning to discuss sports betting with the Seminole Tribe
Seminole Tribe has prevented gaming expansion in Florida
There are no bills being considered right now

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Lawmakers in Florida are planning to negotiate with the Seminole Tribe about sports betting this legislative period.

A large number of states around the country have opened sportsbooks or they have introduced legislation that would legalize sports betting. Florida has been left behind and has done neither yet. That could change this legislative session as lawmakers are going to negotiate with the Seminole Tribe about the gaming compact between the state and the Tribe.

Negotiating A New Compact

Senate President Bill Galvano was the lead negotiator for the 2010 compact between the Tribe and the state. He has tasked Senator Wilton Simpson to work with the Seminole Tribe to come up with a new compact.

“Right now, from the state’s standpoint and speaking on behalf of the Senate, what is paramount is to see where we are ultimately with the tribe going forward,” said Galvano.

As sports betting is becoming more and more popular around the country, the Seminole Tribe is becoming more interested in the sports action. The fact of the matter is that Florida is in a position where having the Seminole Tribe control sports betting may be the easiest and most simple way for sportsbooks to open.

The Seminole Tribe’s Powerful Position

The Seminole Tribe has backed legislation that prevents Florida from expanding on gambling on their own terms. This past fall, voters passed Amendment 3. This measure stated that if there was an expansion on gambling or if a new casino wanted to be open, it must go to a statewide vote before it could happen.

This was backed by the Seminole Tribe as they put down $24 million in support of the amendment. The measure was a success and now any and all gaming expansion has to be voted on in a statewide ballot. The only catch is that this measure does not affect the Seminole Tribe. They are free to expand on their gaming operations as they see fit without a statewide vote.

They have also in the past successfully sued the state on any infringement of their gaming compact. Racinos were using a “designated player” system to allow them to offer blackjack to their customers. The Seminole Tribe sued in 2016 about this and they have won their court case, further cementing their position in Florida Gaming.

The post Florida Sports Betting Could Be On The Table first appeared on SportsBettingInFlorida.com.

Seminole Tribe And Florida Are Moving Towards Sports Betting Agreement

Daniel Borjas — Wed, 01 May 2019 19:40:00 +0000

The new compact between Seminole Tribe and Florida is being discussed.
Seminole Tribe might be willing to give up some gambling exclusivity rights.
No ETA for when sports betting action could happen in Florida yet.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida and the Seminole Tribe are having discussions about sports betting and the compact between the two entities.

Proper Discussions Are Happening

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had met with several representatives of the Seminole Tribe to discuss sports betting. The Seminole is now showing interest in having sportsbooks open around the state.

The main reason why DeSantis and other lawmakers are able to talk to the Seminole Tribe is that the compact agreement between the state and the tribe is about to end. Through this agreement, the Seminole Tribe has contributed over $350 million to the state’s budget.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, discussions were held not only with the Seminole Tribe, but pari-mutuel stakeholders were in the meeting as well. This marked an end of the Tribe not wanting to have anyone else in the discussions due to exclusivity rights.

A 31 Year Deal

A new compact has been proposed between Florida and the Seminole Tribe and it would last 31 years. The deal allows for the doors to be open for sports betting not only in the tribal casinos but in Florida racetracks as well. This is a huge change in attitude because the tribe has sued the racetracks back in 2010 over banked card games because the racetracks violated the Tribe’s exclusivity rights. Prop bets and sports arenas are also in the mix as well.

The key to all of this is that the Seminole Tribe will act as the “hub” for all sports betting. The reason they would act as the hub is that Amendment 3 was passed last fall. Amendment 3 made sure that all gambling expansions in Florida have to go through the voters first before they could happen.

This amendment was actually backed by the Seminole Tribe when it was being considered. The Tribe spent over $24 million to make sure that the bill passed because of the fact that the Seminole Tribe is unaffected by Amendment 3. This further their stronghold of having exclusive rights to many gambling operations in Florida.

People Want Sports Betting To Be Voted On

If Seminole Tribe is willing to act as the hub for sports betting in Florida, then lawmakers believe they could go around having a statewide referendum on sports betting. This does not sit well with different advocacy groups.

The No Casinos in Florida Group has sent a letter to Senate President Bill Galvano saying that they are opposed to any gambling expansion in Florida. The Voters in Charge group has also stated in the past that because of Amendment 3, only Florida voters have the power to allow casino expansion. This includes sports betting.

There is no estimated time for when sports betting could happen in Florida, but it is unlikely to happen this year. Florida’s legislative session ends on Friday and no deal has been formally agreed upon. But the Seminole Tribe has shown to be more open about the subject which means the future of sports betting is brighter than ever for the Sunshine State.

The post Seminole Tribe And Florida Are Moving Towards Sports Betting Agreement first appeared on SportsBettingInFlorida.com.

Florida Lawmakers Begin Talks With Seminole Tribe About Sports Betting

Daniel Borjas — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 19:43:00 +0000

No sports betting bill has been filed in Florida yet.
State lawmakers are working with the Seminole Tribe find an agreement.
Sports betting is unlikely to happen in 2019.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers held discussions with the Seminole Tribe on Wednesday to talk about sports betting in the Sunshine State.

No Deal Just Yet

With the compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe needing to be re-negotiated, lawmakers are starting to discuss the possibility of sports betting with the Tribe. The Seminole Tribe pays about $350 million a year to the state for the compact. That agreement ends soon and now they need to decide how much they should pay after the current agreement and what else could be added to the compact.

This is why sports betting is starting to enter the discussions. The Seminole Tribe could end up being the entity that offers sportsbooks in the Sunshine State. So far, no deal has been reached between in regards to sports betting. State Senate President Bill Galvano does seem hopeful about future negotiations.

Control Over Gambling

There has not been any expansion in gambling in Florida in the past couple of years. Most attempts have failed and gambling expansion have gotten harder. In the 2018 election, Florida voters passed Amendment 3 which made it so that a statewide referendum would need to be held to open a new casino.

The Seminole Tribe spent $24 million to help make sure the amendment passed. Now people in Tallahassee would have a say if a casino were to open or not in Gainesville.

They have also sued the state for any infringement on their gaming compact. The Tribe sued the state because racinos were using a “designated player” system to try to get around the fact that only the Tribe could offer blackjack. The court ruled in favor of the Tribe and they are the only ones who can offer blackjack in Florida.

As illustrated, the Seminole Tribe has a strong hold on gambling in Florida. Lawmakers are going to need to convince the Tribe to allow for sportsbetting in Florida to happen. The likely scenario to make that happen is to allow the Tribe exclusive rights to open sportsbooks. The legislative session ends on May 3, so it is unlikely we are going to see sportsbooks open in the Sunshine State in 2019.

The post Florida Lawmakers Begin Talks With Seminole Tribe About Sports Betting first appeared on SportsBettingInFlorida.com.

Future Sports Betting Bills Face Major Opposition In Florida

Daniel Borjas — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 19:49:00 +0000

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Although a Florida sports gambling bill will be introduced later this month, it faces many hurdles before it can pass.

State Senate President Bill Galvano unveiled that he is planning on submitting a new sports wagering bill in the Senate. He has tried in the past to expand gambling in the Sunshine State, but those attempts have ended in failure.

Amendment 3 Could Prevent Sports Betting

It has only gotten harder for Galvano to pass legislation that allows gambling on sports. This past November, voters in Florida passed Amendment 3 - the “Voter Control of Gambling” amendment. This makes it so that any expansion on casino gambling needs to be approved by a statewide ballot. That means if a casino wants to expand operations or have a new one built in Miami, Orlando residents can have a say if that can happen or not.

Galvano believes that he can he can pass a sports wagering bill without a referendum. He argues that sports gambling exists in a different world from casino gaming, so he is allowed to pass legislation that would legalize wagering on sports. Galvano faces major opposition against that argument.

One of the opponents that he has to face is John Sowinski, president of Voters in Charge. Sowinski states that because of Amendment 3, “only Florida voters, by constitutional initiative, have the authority to authorize any form of casino gambling, including sports betting.”

He also said that any attempt to go around Amendment 3 “is patently unconstitutional and an affront of the will of the people.” Sowinski believes that any legislation that applies to sports gambling must go through a referendum first, even if it’s not required by law. Along with Sowinski, Disney and the Seminole tribe are highly opposed to wagering on sports.

Disney And Seminole Tribe Against Sports Gambling

Disney and the Seminole Tribe spent $20 million and $24 million respectively to help make sure Florida residents would vote for Amendment 3. Disney wants the Sunshine State to appear more family-friendly and wants to get rid of tourist competition as much as possible. The Seminole Tribe is opposed to any expansion to gambling that is outside of their reservations. They seek to keep the status quo in Florida.

One of the key points of Amendment 3 is that the rules do not apply to gambling on tribal lands. The tribes are allowed to expand gambling on their lands as much as they want. The Seminoles have stated that if lawmakers decide to legalize sports wagering, they would consider withholding revenue share payments from the state.

Even though there are many entities against sports gambling in Florida, Galvano plans on introducing his legislation to the Senate by the end of the month. If things go the way he plans, he could legalize sports betting without a state-wide referendum. If not, it will be up to the voters to decide if Florida will have sports gambling - or the legislation can fail to make it past the Senate.

The post Future Sports Betting Bills Face Major Opposition In Florida first appeared on SportsBettingInFlorida.com.

Florida Sen. Bill Galvano To Introduce Expansive Gambling Bill

Sierra Kennedy — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 19:53:00 +0000

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida Senate President Bill Galvano plans to introduce a sports betting bill during Florida’s 2019 legislative session, which starts on March 5th. The bill would also include other facets of the gambling industry.

Florida gambling is currently regulated to tribal casinos–with dog racing no longer available. The Seminole Indian Tribe, owner of the Hard Rock brand of the hotels and casinos across the globe, would benefit from this expansive gambling bill. The Seminole Indian Tribe has invested a large sum of money into their hotels and casinos.

“They have made a tremendous investment, billions of dollars in their facilities, but yet they still lack craps and roulette games that are traditionally in casinos of that magnitude,” Galvano said.

Galvano, in addition to his gambling bill, also wants to present new terms and alter the existing Seminole Compact. The deal—in exchange for the Seminole Tribe having exclusive rights to offer black and slot machines throughout Florida—would guarantee the state $3 billion dollars over the next seven years. The money would come from the Tribe paying the state a cut of their revenue from their blackjack tables.

Existing state-tribal compacts have not been formally renewed, but the Tribe still pays the state a cut of their blackjack revenue. Signing new agreements, paired with Galvano’s bill, would greatly broaden the Seminole Tribes gambling reach.

“I know they would like to see that,” stated Galvano. “They have an interest, as I understand, in offering sports betting and they do want stability because they can operate and work with their financiers in a more stable environment and they can point to an agreement that is not in flux, so to speak.”

According to Bill Galvano, the bill would also include a more all-encompassing impact on the state pari-mutuels. Galvano also noted that, in addition to sports gambling in Florida, the bills others gambling related issues could still be addressed by the legislature. The legislation, planned to be completed by the end of February, would be a major advancement for Florida gambling.

Galvano may face trouble passing his bill, according to John Sowinski, president of Voters in Charge. He will have to deal with Amendment 3, which was just passed into law by Florida voters last year.

“Only Florida voters, by constitutional initiative, have the authority to authorize any form of casino gambling including sports betting,” states Sowinski.

The proposed bill could cause drastic changes to Florida gambling if passed, and possibly incur litigation as well, since the bill would violate a constitutional amendment. Time will tell as things move forward or halt in the legislative process.

The post Florida Sen. Bill Galvano To Introduce Expansive Gambling Bill first appeared on SportsBettingInFlorida.com.