South Florida is being dealt a new hand under a bill being proposed by the Florida Senate.
If the new gambling legislation filed Thursday by state Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, passes, South Florida could have two new casinos, the seven racetrack casinos already here would get blackjack, and the Seminole casinos would get craps and roulette.
Statewide, the eight counties that have voted to allow slot machines could get them, and the state would receive billions of dollars at a time when state economists are predicting $3 billion in budget shortfalls over the next three years.
But the Florida House has its own ideas, which will differ from the Senate version. And both chambers of the legislature are still in negotiations with the Seminole tribe and the governor’s office over updating a gambling agreement.
“The House version won’t be as expansive as the Senate’s in terms of new slot partners,” said state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, the House’s chief negotiator with the tribe. “I think that ultimately the only thing that can work to get a bill done would be a slight increase in slots and a contraction elsewhere. That’s something that maybe the House and tribe can ultimately agree with.”
Under the terms of the Senate bill:
*Any racetrack that has operated dog or horse races for the last two years could get slots in counties that approve. In South Florida, that would mean slot machines in the Palm Beach Kennel Club and Hialeah Park.
*Miami-Dade and Broward counties could each see one new casino.
*Those betting parlors plus the seven pari-mutuels that already have casinos here would be able to operate up to 25 blackjack tables.
*Any gambling permit holder that does not offer gambling for 24 straight months would lose their permit.
*Gambling permits could also be sold back to the state. The money to buy them back, up to $20 million, will come from the Seminole tribe.
*A new state Office of Amusement would regulate online daily fantasy sports sites like FanDuel and DraftKings. The state says these games, in which players spend money on fantasy teams, are not gambling,but are instead games of skill.
*Lottery tickets could be sold by credit card at electronic terminals.
*Owners of greyhound tracks that have held races for the past decade would be able to end racing but still operate their casinos. That’s a plus for animal rights activists and many dog track owners as well, as revenue from greyhound racing has fallen while casinos remain lucrative.
The bill also means a lot of money for the state, as it ratifies a 2015 agreement with the Seminole tribe that failed to pass in last year’s legislative session.
Under that agreement, the state would have received $3 billion over the first seven years of the deal in return for exclusivity throughout the state on craps and roulette and slots outside of South Florida.
That number will have to come down if slots expand throughout the state, but would still mean a lot of money for a state that is anticipating budget deficits of $3 billion over the next three years.
“I’m optimistic that we can pass it. The timeline is better this year, we’re progressing in a much quicker pace, and both sides have an appetite to negotiate,” Diaz said. “We know where the pressure points are for all sides, and we’re trying to come up with the best deal that accommodates those.”
dsweeney@sunsentinel.com, 954-356-4605 or Twitter @Daniel_Sweeney
What players can expect if the Senate deal goes through
*Craps and roulette at the Seminole Tribe’s six casinos — two in Hollywood and one each in Coconut Creek, Brighton, Immokalee and Tampa
*Blackjack at dog and horse tracks
*Two new casinos with slots, one each in Broward and Miami-Dade counties
*The expansion of slots to eight more counties, including Palm Beach
*The continuation of designated-player games that a federal court ruled in violation of the previous Seminole gambling agreement
