Editorial: Legislature should rewrite gambling rules – Tampabay.com

Medical marijuana isn't the only major issue missing from the agenda for this week's special session of the Florida Legislature. Gambling also is nowhere to be found. The Florida Supreme Court's unanimous opinion last month that individual counties may not unilaterally decide to open their doors to slot machines was the correct decision, rightly recognizing that any expansion of gambling in Florida is a statewide issue that should be addressed in state law or the state Constitution. But lawmakers again failed to reach a deal during the regular session, and now they have the clear responsibility to resolve the lingering issues.

The court brought clarity to where authority rests regarding gambling. In 2003, voters amended the Florida Constitution to allow slot machines in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Subsequent changes in state law allowed the Hialeah horse track to be eligible for a slots license. By relying on creative interpretations of the state's gaming laws, other counties saw an opening to bring slots to their beleaguered dog and horse tracks and jai alai frontons, and voters in eight counties (none in Tampa Bay) approved slot machine gaming. Had the Supreme Court sided with those counties and the owner of Gretna Racing in Gadsden County, which brought the challenge, Florida could have seen an explosion of slot machines.

Instead the justices rightly recognized that the Legislature never intended to leave gambling policy up to individual counties. But state lawmakers have been unable to agree on a broader vision for the future of gambling in Florida. Negotiations broke down in the final days of the regular session over a new gaming bill and a new agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida to operate some casino games exclusively in exchange for annual revenues of as much as $300 million for the state. In general, the House wants less gambling or at least a slower expansion while the Senate favors more.

Following the court's ruling, the Legislature can't keep stalling forever. The governor and the Legislature should reach a new deal with the Seminoles and bring some additional clarity to gambling for the beleaguered parimutuel industry. But there has to be a balance. For example, lawmakers could repeal outdated requirements that force dog tracks such as Derby Lane in St. Petersburg to keep running live races in order to keep their poker rooms open. They should not, however, open the door for the widespread expansion of slot machines, and they should keep the Seminoles' additional gambling opportunities as limited as possible in return for another long-term agreement that would bring more revenue to the state.

The Florida Supreme Court has handed lawmakers a newly cleaned slate by answering the question correctly of whether a few counties can decide on their own to allow expanded slot machine gaming. With that resolved, lawmakers should buckle down and craft reasonable, modern legislation that makes sense without opening the door to creating another Las Vegas.

Editorial: Legislature should rewrite gambling rules 06/05/17 [Last modified: Monday, June 5, 2017 7:45pm] Photo reprints | Article reprints

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Editorial: Legislature should rewrite gambling rules - Tampabay.com