An attempt to create a new gambling agreement between the state and Seminole Indian Tribe failed last legislative session, but Florida’s legislative leaders say they’d like to see a compact pass this time around.
Senate President Joe Negron says approving a gaming agreement with the tribe makes sense since it brings in dollars from the tribe through revenue sharing.
“We have money available that could be used for tax cuts, it could be put in our rainy day fund. It could be used to fund national merit scholarships. We have revenue streams that are available to us and I also thinks it makes good policy to have a long term deal with the Seminole Tribe,” Negron says.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran has also said he’d like to see a compact proposal go through the committee process, but says any deal would need to reduce gambling in Florida. Meanwhile, Negron says he’d like to see any compact plan take into account local referendums voting to allow slots at pari-mutuels—a move often seen as an expansion. The contributed to the failure of a compact proposal during the last legislative session.
