TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Crist Deals State Strong Hand In Taxing And Limiting Casinos

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 15, 2007

Given that Florida voters already opened the door to slot machines, Gov. Charlie Crist struck a good deal with Native American tribes to give taxpayers a cut of gambling profits while also stopping the spread of new casinos.

Gambling critics are bashing Crist for allowing some card games in addition to slots, but it's unfair to brand him Blackjack Charlie. The gambling expansion wasn't Crist's idea.

Under most interpretations of federal law, whatever gambling a state allows anywhere must also be allowed on federal Indian reservations. Voters statewide have given Broward and Dade the local option of adding slots to pari-mutuel sites, and Broward has done so.

The tribes demanded to be treated equally. In return, they're promising to give the state at least $100 million a year, with increases dependent on their revenues. Currently the state gets nothing from Indian gaming operations, which so closely resemble Las Vegas that a casual visitor can't tell the difference. In return, the tribes will get exclusive rights outside of Broward and Dade counties to slot machines and blackjack.

Under the new deal, local gamblers at the 90,000-square-foot Seminole Hard Rock Casino on Orient Road will be allowed to play gambling machines against the house instead of against each other, as the machines are currently rigged to operate. Customers also will be allowed to play blackjack against the house and a few similar games.

Crist's contract also honors the will of Florida voters who have consistently opposed statewide casinos. Under the compact, slot machine gambling will be restricted to reservations only.

The reasons for the state's longstanding resistance to unrestrained gambling are sound. The guide Sperling's Best Places notes that Las Vegas has "the highest percentage of divorced residents and the highest rate of suicides."
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum worries that allowing blackjack will lead to more crime. We disagree. It is the concentration of casinos and the expansion of slot machines to every motel, grocery store and gas station that creates major social problems. Crist suggests that 95 percent of the revenue go to education and 5 percent go to cities and counties, such as Tampa and Hillsborough, affected by the casinos.

Crist maintains he doesn't have to submit the deal to the Legislature for approval, but he should. Oversight and open debate would expose any flaws or unintended consequences. And Crist should remember that it will be hard for lawmakers to turn down the $100 million. If the state offers nothing, the tribes could get permission for tax-free slots from the federal government. No critics offer a better plan than Crist's and he should call their bluff.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT