Florida Senate, House differ on gambling’s future in state

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida could soon become home to more casinos and hundreds of more slot machines under a gambling bill that was easily passed Thursday by the state Senate.

But the idea of transforming parts of the Sunshine State into a humid version of Las Vegas is a bust with the Republican-controlled Florida House. The House is expected to vote next week on its bill that would instead “freeze” all gambling at what is currently allowed.

The question is then whether legislative leaders can craft some sort of compromise in the five weeks that remain in the annual session or have yet another stalemate over the future of gambling. Legislators have tried for several years to piece together a rewrite of the state’s gambling laws, but they have usually fallen apart amid a heavy lobbying effort from those in the gambling industry.

“It’s a heavy, heavy lift,” House Speaker Richard Corcoran said.

Gambling is supposed to be “illegal” in Florida but really isn’t. There’s plenty of it around the state, often tucked away from theme parks and beaches in locations known mostly to locals and retirees who flock to Florida each winter.

While the state lacks high-end casinos like Las Vegas, the Seminole Tribe operates several casinos, including Hard Rock hotels and casinos in Tampa and Hollywood. Dog and horse tracks are scattered statewide, but only those in South Florida have been permitted to install slot machines, while only the tribe is authorized to offer blackjack. The state makes money off gambling and has been paid nearly $2 billion since 2010 from the tribe.

The Senate bill would change all that. It would allow slot machines at dog and horse tracks in eight counties outside of South Florida where local voters have approved referendums. The Senate gambling bill would allow the Seminole Tribe to offer craps and roulette at its casinos, and it would allow South Florida tracks to add blackjack. And it would create a pathway for an additional casino in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

The Senate bill passed by a 32-6 vote with no debate. Sen. Bill Galvano, the Bradenton Republican and sponsor of the bill, said the legislation is needed to address lawsuits and disputes that have threatened to upend the state’s gambling landscape.

In one pending case, the Florida Supreme Court could allow dog and horse tracks in eight counties to add slot machines.