TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The state House could vote as soon as Monday on a wide-ranging gambling bill that includes ratification of a 20-year agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
But after years of failed attempts to agree on gambling legislation, the House and Senate continue to have differing proposals as the 2018 legislative session enters its final week.
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The House on Friday took up its version of the bill (HB 7067) and positioned it for a vote, while the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Senate version (SB 840).
The House bill would lead to the Seminole Tribe paying $3 billion to the state over seven years.
In exchange, the tribe would have exclusive rights to conduct banked card games, such as blackjack, at five of its casinos.
Also, the tribe would continue to have exclusive authority to offer slot machines outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and pari-mutuel facilities would be barred from offering lucrative “designated player” card games.