I think the tribe has always been receptive to navigate the process. The tribe … agreed to a casino in downtown Miami. 'I think that’s a really fair question,' Allen said, indicating that the Seminoles would not actively oppose such a move. 'Does that mean if somebody wanted to establish, let’s say, a casino in the Panhandle … is that something the tribe would then fund against, or because they’re following within the rules … that you would be neutral?' Brandes asked Allen during a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting. Petersburg Republican who cast the Senate’s sole vote last week against ratification of the compact (SB 2A), questioned Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming and chairman of Hard Rock International, about the tribe’s view on competition outside of its areas.

The possibility of adding casinos in other parts of the state also has drawn questions. The Legislature has not given the go-ahead to a bill that would allow South Florida permits to be moved. Relocation of permits would require legislative authorization as well as approval by municipal leaders. Also, it could open the possibility of a casino in downtown Miami. The agreement has spurred heavy debate about the possibility of pari-mutuel operators trying to transfer existing permits in Miami-Dade County to the Trump National Doral resort and the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Permits could be transferred so long as they are more than 15 miles 'on a straight line' from the tribe’s Broward County operations or 100 miles from the tribe’s other casinos, such as the Seminole’s cash-cow facility in Tampa.īut the potential casino expansion off of Seminoles’ lands faces a number of barriers. The compact would allow pari-mutuel operators to sell or transfer permits to other entities, a process known as 'portability,' with certain caveats. PREVIOUS: Florida lawmakers pass gambling deal, though court fight likely The compact would allow the Seminoles to contract with other gambling operators to manage up to three new facilities on the tribe’s Hollywood reservation.Īnd the proposed compact - now awaiting DeSantis’ signature - could set the stage to allow casinos in other regions of the state. Part of the deal would allow the tribe to amplify its Broward County operations, which recently underwent a $1.5 billion expansion that added a 36-story, guitar-shaped tower to anchor the Seminoles’ Hard Rock casino.

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