By James Call
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-994062.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Republican state legislators pushing for new casinos in South Florida say they want to rein in the Florida Lottery. James Call reports the sponsors say they will change the bill so that the state lottery would be under control of a new statewide gaming commission.
Fort Lauderdale Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff says she checked with legal experts who told her lawmakers could place the lottery under a new state wide gaming commission. Bogdanoff says the lottery is predatory, can be addictive and continues to grow. She says she intends to revise a casino resorts bill to give a gaming commission authority over the state's numbers and scratch off games.
"Right now what is happening is they are just looking for revenue and they continue to grow and proliferate. But the question is the directive, and hopefully they will have the expertise, let's move away from predatory gaming."
Florida voters in 1986 approved a constitutional amendment that created the lottery. Profits from it go to public schools, colleges and universities.