Florida Governor in talks with Seminole tribe

April 12, 2007

In online gambling news today, we will report to our readers about the issues at hand in Florida regarding tribal land casinos. According to one South Florida newspaper, Governor Charlie Crist and the Seminole Tribe of Florida are on the brink of commencing casino negotiations over what gambling options the tribe can offer at its casinos throughout Florida.

An attorney for the Seminoles met Wednesday with Crist's chief of staff to talk about potential dates and places where the two sides can meet to start work on a possible compact, an agreement governing tribal casinos.

A compact could mean bigger profits for the Seminoles, with a share going to state government. It would allow the Seminoles to install slot machines, in place of their bingo-style slot machines, and perhaps table games at their 7 casinos. At present, the state does not get a cut of the tribe's gambling revenue.

The Seminoles have filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge to ensure that the US Department of Interior lets them have slots without a state compact. If the Seminoles win that lawsuit, the state would get no cut of the gambling revenue. This is surely a bol;d move by the Seminoles and we will be watching to see the new developments as they arise and we will report them to our online gambling news article readers.

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