Seminoles sue state to keep offering card games

TALLAHASSEE — The Seminole Tribe of Florida sued the state Monday in what appears a defensive move ahead of a looming legal deadline that could shut down table games at five of the tribe’s seven facilities, including Hollywood’s Hard Rock Casino.

In 2010, the state and Seminole Tribe entered into a compact under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The agreement gave the tribe exclusive rights to operate banked card games such as blackjack for five years, but unless the agreement is renewed, the Seminoles would have to discontinue the banked games. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to allow the Seminoles to keep offering the games.

A Thursday deadline now looms, although the state hasn’t indicated it is eager to force any kind of shutdown.

The tribe has said it plans to continue the games. But Chief James Billie also sounded an optimistic note Monday, saying that negotiations with the state over a new deal are looking good.

In a statement, attributed to Billie, he said, there was “significant progress in the tribe’s negoti- ations with the governor and leaders of the Florida Legislature relative to finalizing a new compact agreement, and the tribe remains hopeful that a positive outcome will result.”

But the tribe pointed out, it “has no option but to file in order to protect its interests and those of the 3,100 employees and their families whose jobs are in jeopardy.”

In exchange for five years of exclusivity, the Seminoles pledged in the compact to pay Florida a minimum of $1 billion over the same time period, an amount the tribe has exceeded.

The tribe has said it would continue to send its payments to the state even if it continues games past the Thursday deadline.