Florida To Get Blackjack and More

[CybrPunk]

Latest update from the AP, as posted in the St. Petersburg Times:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/17/St...ribe_tak.shtml

The article pegs Tuesday the 21st as the deadline for the State and The Tribe to reach an agreement.

Let's keep our fingers crossed, folks. With any luck this will mean the return of high stakes poker to the Sunshine State.

[RobertC]

I spoke to a manager at the HR Hollywood and he said that once they get full casino games that they are going back to high-stakes poker games.

I don't think the State of Florida is looking to limit the Seminoles from having high stakes poker. The State is just trying to negotiate the highest cut they can get.

[Legislurker]

I think appearances are important too, Crist can't totally ignore the crucifixed fascists. Maybe he thinks they appreciate his stall move? Its never too early to think about 2012.

[soulvamp]

[ QUOTE ]
I spoke to a manager at the HR Hollywood and he said that once they get full casino games that they are going back to high-stakes poker games.

I don't think the State of Florida is looking to limit the Seminoles from having high stakes poker. The State is just trying to negotiate the highest cut they can get.

[/ QUOTE ]

A dealer today told me that the Hard Rock won't even have poker. They'll use the space for table games (no roulette or craps, just card games) and leave poker for the old Seminole Casino up the road.

By the way, the time charge at the Hard Rock has killed poker action there. People are staying away in droves.

[Legislurker]

good, are you calling them on the phone and saying yorue staying away because? you sre saying they actually have open tables?

[soulvamp]

[ QUOTE ]
good, are you calling them on the phone and saying yorue staying away because? you sre saying they actually have open tables?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not staying away because of the time charge. I'm staying away because I don't play no-limit.

[eddytom]

Here is a story just released today by the Sun-Sentinal in South Florida, it's a pretty extensive and in depth article about this whole issue...

Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminole Tribe of Florida are down to the "nitty gritty" issues as they push to have a deal in place this week giving the tribe Las Vegas-style slot machines and potentially other gambling options, according to an attorney for the Seminoles.

The U.S. Department of Interior warned Crist in June to have an agreement largely ironed out by this week or risk the federal government instead allowing the Seminoles to have the slot machines without state regulatory oversight. If that happened, the state could lose out on millions of dollars.

Barry Richard, one of the Seminoles' attorneys, said the goal of both sides is to have an agreement by this week, but it's unclear if it will happen so soon.

"It's fair to say that [negotiations] have intensified because we are pushing to get things done and debating some of the thornier questions," Richard said. "Some of those are in the money area and the extent to which the state imposes some of its regulatory desires within the reservation."

George LeMieux, Crist's chief of staff and his point man in negotiations, said he expects the agreement to be reached this week.

"There are a couple of significant issues left to be ironed out, but the tribe and the state are negotiating in good faith," LeMieux said.

Even if Crist successfully negotiates a deal, the question lingers whether the Legislature will need to approve it. If the governor proceeds without a legislative vote, a court challenge to his authority seems inevitable, said Robert Jarvis, a Nova Southeastern University law school professor and gambling law expert.

Crist's staff members and tribal representatives have spent the past three months periodically meeting to hash out an agreement over the tribe's gambling rights, commonly known as a compact. A compact would grant the tribe the ability to offer more lucrative gambling options while the state would get some of the revenue as well as having as some regulatory oversight.

The Seminoles have argued that since Broward racetrack casinos got traditional slot machines, the tribe legally is entitled to have the devices at its seven casinos. The Seminole Tribe's casinos currently feature bingo-style slot machines, where players compete against each other. Those slots are considered less profitable than traditional slots, which are individually programmed for payouts.

In addition, the tribe wants table games, such as roulette and blackjack. Table games would further solidify the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino complexes as destination spots and fuel expansion at the other tribal casinos. The tribe has averaged an annual profit of more than $500 million from its gambling operations statewide since opening the Hard Rock complexes, according to court records.

U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne wrote Crist in June that if both sides failed to "reach an agreement on all or most of the outstanding issues within the next 60 days, I will review my options at that time." The 60-day window will expire by Wednesday.

The Interior Department warned the state last year that it was ready to issue regulations that would allow the Seminoles to have traditional slots. But the federal government let a November deadline pass without taking action, prompting the Seminoles to file a federal lawsuit demanding a judge force the Interior Department to allow them to have the gambling devices. The lawsuit is pending.

Gaming law experts warn though that if the Seminoles tried to get the machines without a compact, the state likely would file a legal challenge that could drag on for years.

Kempthorne's office has requested a phone conference with the governor's office for sometime this week to check on the negotiations, LeMieux said.

After Crist and the Seminoles reach an agreement, it remains unclear if the governor has the authority to finalize the deal.

Five state supreme courts — in New Mexico, Kansas, Rhode Island, New York and Wisconsin — have ruled their respective governors needed legislative approval to finalize compacts. In Mississippi, a federal court upheld the governor's ability to bind the state to a compact.

Jarvis said in each of these cases, the court had to look at the state's constitution to see if the governor had such power. It doesn't appear the Florida constitution grants such authority to the governor, he said.

If the governor believes he has the power to finalize the deal, he risks a legal challenge that could take months to resolve, Jarvis said. If Crist seeks the Legislature's approval for an agreement, it's unclear how long that could take.

LeMieux said it's "an open question" whether a legislative vote will be needed, but the governor thinks he has the ability to enter into a compact. He said Crist has been consulting with legislative leaders since negotiations began.

Kathryn Rand, a University of North Dakota law professor and gambling law expert, said it's key to resolve the question of legislative approval for a compact.

"The situation all parties want to avoid is negotiating a compact and having the tribe and state proceed with Class III gaming and revenue sharing and only later to have that brought into question," Rand said.

A spokeswoman for House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, said he's examining whether legislative ratification will be needed but hasn't taken a formal stance.

"It's not a new issue, but not a resolved issue," said Jill Chamberlin, Rubio's spokeswoman.



Had to copy the whole story because the link doesn't work... hope that is okay... http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...act0820nbaug20,0,2505601.story

[TheEngineer]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,2505601.story

[jrock901]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I spoke to a manager at the HR Hollywood and he said that once they get full casino games that they are going back to high-stakes poker games.

I don't think the State of Florida is looking to limit the Seminoles from having high stakes poker. The State is just trying to negotiate the highest cut they can get.

[/ QUOTE ]

A dealer today told me that the Hard Rock won't even have poker. They'll use the space for table games (no roulette or craps, just card games) and leave poker for the old Seminole Casino up the road.

By the way, the time charge at the Hard Rock has killed poker action there. People are staying away in droves.

[/ QUOTE ]

Time charge at which Hard Rock? The Hard Rock in Tampa has no time charge at all. Just a normal rake. And people aren't staying away at all.

[bocablkr]

At the Seminole and Hollywood Casinos. I think at the Coconut Creek one as well.