Scott, Seminole Tribe reach deal for future use of gambling funds

TALLAHASSEE — As legislative leaders hold behind-thescenes talks about revamping the gambling industry, Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday announced a deal that will lead to the Seminole Tribe continuing to pay more than $300 million a year in casino money to the state.

The tribe would continue making the payments, which are rooted in a 2010 gambling agreement, through the 2019 legislative session. In exchange, the tribe would continue to have exclusive rights to offer games such as blackjack at its casinos and would continue to be the state’s only slot-machine operator outside of MiamiDade and Broward counties.

“Today, I am proud to announce that the state of Florida has reached an agreement with the Seminole Tribe which ensures the tribe’s current commitment remains intact,” Scott, who will leave office in January after eight years, said in a prepared statement. “Since I took office, the Seminole compact (the 2010 agreement) has generated more than $1.75 billion which has helped our state make historic investments in things like Florida’s education and environment.”

The deal does nothing to change the status quo of the state’s pari-mutuel facilities such as the Palm Beach Kennel Club in West Palm Beach.

It also does little to scuttle negotiations between House and Senate leaders as they try to craft a sweeping gambling bill before the November election, when voters will decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to expand gambling. The amendment, if approved, would give voters control of gambling expansions, something now largely controlled by the Legislature.

Rep. Jose Oliva and Sen. Bill Galvano, who will take over as House speaker and Senate president after the fall elections, have been in talks for weeks about a possible special session on the gambling issue.