FILE - In this July 2, 2020 file photo, a woman plays a slot machine at the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City N.J. The Florida Legislature will meet in a special session that would overhaul Florida’s gambling industry, including joining other states in allowing sports betting.
With lawmakers preparing to gather Monday to start a special session, the Senate and House on Friday released bills that would overhaul Florida’s gambling industry, including joining other states in allowing sports betting.
The bills, in part, would carry out a 30-year gambling deal announced last month by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The deal, known as a gambling compact, would bring in about $2.5 billion for the state over the next five years, while putting the tribe in charge of sports betting.
Lawmakers may snap the ball, but will the courts yank it away before DeSantis can kick it?
While it may be tempting to write-off Florida Governor Ron DeSantis‘s foray into a Gaming Compact with the Seminole Tribe as another attempt by Charlie Brown to kick the football before Lucy pulls it away from him, he may actually get a solid foot on the ball. Then again, some legal experts think he’s about to take a spill.
If DeSantis gets help from lawmakers and the court, the 2021 Gaming Compact will primarily be known for two things: legalizing sports betting in Florida, and giving DeSantis a feather in his cap for being able to pull together a blockbuster deal that will generate billions in gaming revenue over the next three decades. Not everyone will be happy about it, though. Especially No Casinos, which led the charge to give voters a voice in all matters related to gaming expansions.
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