Editorial: Fool’s Gold With Any Expansion of Gambling in Florida
Please take a few minutes to read this editorial from today’s Bradenton Herald.
“After four straight years of new records for tourism, the Sunshine State shouldn’t gamble with casinos.”
We could not have said it better ourselves!
Fool’s Gold With Any Expansion of Gambling in Florida
September 30, 2014
Florida’s gambling issue returned to the spotlight this week with revelations that Gov. Rick Scott’s administration came close to striking a deal with the Seminole Indian tribe.
That new compact could have added new games while possibly netting the state some $2 billion over the seven years, double the current figure in an agreement that expires next year.
Bradenton GOP state Sen. Bill Galvano negotiated that 2010 compact, and Scott’s office reached out to him for advice. But Galvano expressed the pessimistic view that the Legislature would be averse to allowing an expansion of gambling, one we share.
Florida’s family-friendly tourism brand should not be jeopardized with fool’s gold.
At one point, Scott looked favorably on allowing Las Vegas and Malaysian casino conglomerates to open major gambling destination resorts in South Florida. But Atlantic City demonstrated this month that the lure of easy economic prosperity and job growth holds high risks.
A spectacular casino crash
Three big casinos closed down in September, including the $2.4 billion Revel Casino Resort — only two years old. The Trump Taj Majal expects a similar fate before the end of the year. Another one closed previously this year.
The casualties in this? More than 10,000 employees will end up jobless.
That’s a lesson Florida should focus on. After four straight years of new records for tourism, the Sunshine State shouldn’t gamble with casinos.
Documents obtained by the Associated Press after four months of delay by the governor’s office show his administration was agreeable to allowing the tribe to add roulette and craps at its South Florida casinos and build a new one around Fort Pierce.
The tribal casinos enjoy a virtual monopoly on slot machine outside South Florida, with the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa a major destination here.
Former Gov. Charlie Crist and the Legislative approved the 2010 compact, which also allowed blackjack at most tribal casinos. Scott’s office has postponed further negotiations until after the November election, a prudent decision given strong legislative opposition.
That failed compact would have banned the construction of mega-casinos in Miami for the next seven years, but those Vegas and other magnates will no doubt continue to pour major money into winning approval.
Florida’s economy is rebounding nicely, especially in the addition of high-paying tech sector jobs. Improving education and economic diversity should be the state’s highest priority.
That said, the state will need to negotiate a new compact with the Seminole tribe, but not one that expands gambling.
Read the editorial online here