Even if the bill gets through a Legislature that’s been historically anti-gambling, socially conservative and fiercely protective of Central Florida’s theme parks and convention business, there’s no telling what Gov. Rick Scott would do when it lands on his desk. He likes jobs and new business, but in a recent meeting with the Sun Sentinel editorial board he made clear his personal aversion to gambling.

Odds seem stacked against South Florida resort casino bill

Michael Mayo | Sun Sentinel Columnist
6:12 p.m. EST, December 5, 2011

As a betting man, I’ll set odds of 50-to-1 against the South Florida resort casino bill co-sponsored by state Sen. Ellyn Bodganoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, from being approved in the legislative session that starts in January.

With so many opponents and hurdles, a 2-percent chance sounds right.

Even if the bill gets through a Legislature that’s been historically anti-gambling, socially conservative and fiercely protective of Central Florida’s theme parks and convention business, there’s no telling what Gov. Rick Scott would do when it lands on his desk. He likes jobs and new business, but in a recent meeting with the Sun Sentinel editorial board he made clear his personal aversion to gambling.

Still, the proposal to allow three Las Vegas-style resort casinos in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, and the jockeying among major casino companies to our Florida market, has been entertaining.

Among the funniest parts:

–Seeing a former gambling opponent like Bogdanoff turn into a cheerleader for the big casino firms, making nonsensical arguments about this not really being a gambling expansion. Please. It’s a gambling expansion. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But let’s be honest about it.

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