Cotterell: Legislative action on gambling more important than ever – Tallahassee.com

Bill Cotterell(Photo: Democrat files)Buy Photo

I will admit to holding a grudge against casino gambling.

When my son was about 7, we went out to Reno and he was fascinated by what he called machines that give you money. Children arent allowed in casinos, not even in Nevada, so we decided to teach him a lesson at the airport as we left town at about 5 a.m.

There were slot machines at the departure gate, which was deserted. With a furtive look around, I gave Chris a nickel and let him pull the handle. Of course, he won $20. Can you imagine how heavy 400 nickels are when there are no shops open to make change at the airport?

My botched attempt at an object lesson didnt turn my son into a compulsive gambler. I dont play poker with friends and have never been tempted by all the easy-money opportunities weve got in Florida, from Seminole casinos to lottery sales at Publix. My attitude is still what I tried to teach my kid: A game of chance wont work, if both sides have an equal chance.

Or, as the great Florida folk troubadour Gamble Rogers used to say, The surprisin thing aint that a fool and his money are soon parted, its that a fool and his money got together in the first place.

The casino industry, which certainly has unlimited money to lobby the Legislature and finance constitutional amendment campaigns, has been trying for more than 40 years to change the face of Florida tourism into something more resembling Nevada. In 1978, voters rejected a public-petition constitutional amendment backed by a group of Miami Beach hotel owners, who were tired of seeing tourists change planes in Miami and Fort Lauderdale en route to casino resorts in the Caribbean.

Variations on the gambling theme riverboats, county option, nowhere cruises have gained ground in a few referendums since then. The Seminole Tribes and pari-mutuels got differing forms of what is euphemistically termed gaming (which sounds like playing, not risking). But the Legislature has repeatedly rolled snake eyes in attempts to legalize, regulate and tax the lucrative business. Weve had cruise ships and dog tracks, jai-alai frontons, horse racing, the lottery even a short-lived fling with internet cafes that cost us a lieutenant governor.

The Legislature has paid for six-figure consultant studies, held hearings all over the landscape and listened to lobbyists advocating giant destination resorts or warning that more gambling will besmirch the family vacation image Florida has cultivated for nearly a century. Theres even a backlash petition campaign now which, if it gets on next years ballot and musters 60 percent support, would require voter approval for gambling expansion.

The House and Senate left town this month without resolving their differences on gambling legislation just as they failed to agree on implementing medicinal use of marijuana, workers compensation and some other important issues. The budget they passed, in overtime, was no prize either, so theyll probably be back in special session pretty soon perhaps to override a budget veto, implement the medicinal marijuana thing or take care of other unfinished business.

Special sessions are not a bad thing, by the way. Sure, it would be nice if legislators did all their work in 60 days. It would be nice if they passed only good bills that please everybody, too. But youre not going to get that with 160 decision-makers of whom four to six actually make decisions so would you rather they pass lousy bills on time, or come back and do a bit better?

But back to casinos. Its not just a yes-or-no proposition. Theres are good arguments for them. Its not like we havent had gambling for many, many mango seasons, ranging from old folks bingo to Hialeahs horseys. The state depends on gambling revenue, so much so that it has an entire department to run its own bad-bet business. People obviously want to do it, and theres a limit to how much the state should protect us from our folly.

If necessity is the mother of invention, coming up with a new gambling policy became more necessary than ever for the Legislature last week. The Florida Supreme Court unanimously rejected an effort by Creek Entertainment Gretna to add slot machines, which were authorized in a Gadsden County referendum.

Seven other counties Brevard, Palm Beach, Lee, Duval, Hamilton, St. Lucie and Washington voted for slots at pari-mutuels in local elections, following legislative action in 2009 that allowed the Seminole Tribe of Florida to have blackjack in its casinos. Only some dog and horse tracks in Southeast Florida were allowed slots, under a statewide constitutional referendum.

The justices reasoned, quite logically, that a county government could no more exceed the state Constitution in authorizing gambling than it could hold a local referendum to impose a state income tax, suspend term limits for its legislators or do other things not authorized from above.

Bill Cotterell is a retired Tallahassee Democrat reporter who writes a twice-weekly column. He can be reached at bcotterell@tallahassee.com

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Cotterell: Legislative action on gambling more important than ever - Tallahassee.com