Indian Gaming Now

Compacting

Crist Signs Compact with Seminoles in Florida

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Apr 29 2010

Florida Governor Charlie Crist has signed into law the renegotiated compact with the Seminole Indian Tribe.  The compact had been approved by the Florida state legislature.  Its terms, described in earlier posts, give the Tribe exclusive rights to table games at some of its casinos, and the right to operate slots at all of its casinos.  In exchange for the promise of exclusivity, the Tribe will pay the state some $1.2+ billion in the next five years.

Update From Florida: House and Senate Approve Compact

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Apr 20 2010
Yesterday, the Florida state house approved the latest version of the state's compact with the Seminoles.  A few days earlier, the state senate had voted in favor of the compact as well.  By a vote of 29 to 9 in the Senate and 74 to 39 in the house, the state legislature gave its "thumbs up" to the Seminoles' exclusive right to operate table games at three of the tribe's casinos and slots in all of its casinos, in exchange for revenue-sharing payments to the state expected to reach as much as $1.5 billion over five years.  The compact still needs to be signed by Gov. Crist, who, as the state negotiator of the new compact, is sure to do so shortly.

Agreement in Florida?!?

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Apr 6 2010
Looks like we've got a[nother] compact in Florida!  But is it a good one?

Any compact in Florida is a good compact.  At least, that's our thinking as we near 20 years of controversy over tribal gaming in the state.  This latest compact, borne out of the necessity of the Florida Supreme Court's invalidation of the existing compact, seems to strike a balance between a benefit to the state in the form of revenue sharing, and a benefit to the tribe in the form of exclusive gaming rights throughout the state.  It's not all wrapped up in a ribbon, though -- it still needs to be approved by the state legislature, but insiders are optimistic.

Kathryn Quoted on Compact Politics in Cape Cod Times

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Feb 2 2010
Kathryn's quoted in this Cape Cod Times article on the politics of compact negotiations and tribal-state relations.  In Massachusetts, as the Mashpee Wampanoag continue to pursue Class III gaming, the tribe and the governor are on different sides of another issue -- a wind farm in Nantucket Sound.

A wind farm, of course, is not related to gaming, and under IGRA should not be an issue that enters into compact negotiations.  But politics, unlike law, is not easily compartmentalized into relevant and irrelevant considerations.  Here's what Kathryn said about the possible impact of the tribe's and governor's difference of opinion:

Florida Legislature Rejects Compact

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Jan 15 2010
A special committee of the Florida House of Representatives rejected the new compact negotiated by the Seminoles and Gov. Crist.  The decision marks a possible turning point in Florida tribal-state politics.  Up until now, the tribe has been open to renegotiating what, at least arguably, should have been a done deal -- the long-delayed and duly-entered-into compact that was called into question by the Florida Supreme Court.

Update in Florida: Still Hope . . . ???

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Nov 4 2009
Gov. Crist may have still been hopeful last week, but it looks like the Florida legislature has a different view.  The chair of the state House Gaming Committee predicted that the renegotiated compact would not pass in the state legislature.  Interestingly, the Committee has yet to make its recommendation to the entire House on whether to approve or reject the revised compact.

Florida Legislature Calls for NIGC to Shut Down Seminole Games

Posted by Kathryn Rand | Filed under:
Oct 22 2009
Is it really a surprise that Florida is trying to shut down the Seminoles?  After all, this is the state that infamously stonewalled the Seminoles' efforts to negotiate a Class III compact for nearly two decades.  Florida's stance resulted in the Supreme Court's 1996 decision that "undid" IGRA's compromise of state and tribal authority.  Florida's uncompromising (and arguably illegal, if unlitigable) position also resulted in the politicization of compact "negotiations" nationally.  And so it goes in Florida to this very day.