TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott and the Seminole Tribe have a gambling deal worth $3 billion.
Scott announced Monday that he has signed a new agreement with the tribe. The deal allows the tribe to keep card games such as blackjack at their casinos but also allows them to add roulette and craps.
"There is absolutely expansion of gaming in this deal, but there are also contractions of existing licenses," said Rep. Jose Feliz Diaz. "This is a work in progress."
The agreement will also allow a track in Palm Beach County to add slot machines. Slots are currently limited to Seminole casinos and tracks in Broward and Miami-Dade.
"We certainly prefer to have more of a monopoly if possible, but from our standpoint, it certainly works in the overall long term scope of business," said Seminole Hard Rock Casino CEO Jim Allen.
The agreement means the two sides can drop their lawsuits.
"Obviously, it creates certainty for the tribe for the next 20 years," Allen said. "But equally important, we just saved 3,500 jobs."
The compact between the state and tribe still needs to be approved by the Florida Legislature. Lawmakers start their annual session in January.
"I think it'll be a tight vote," Diaz said. "I don't think we will ever get to a place where we have 100 percent agreement on this legislation."
Sen. Rob Bradley, one of the legislators who helped with negotiations, called it a "good fair deal for taxpayers."