Jun
23
2010
Kathryn participated in a "roundtable" discussion of hot topics in tribal gaming for a future issue of the Gaming Law Review&Economics. Other roundtable panelists were attorneys Heidi Staudenmaier, Mike McBride, and Gabe Galanda. Steve Zweig, the new managing editor for GLRE, moderated the roundtable. Topics included off-reservation gaming, land acquisition, revenue sharing, and the NIGC. Look for a transcript of the roundtable discussion in the next issue of the GLRE. Revenue Sharing
Crist Signs Compact with Seminoles in Florida
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.
Kathryn Was Just Saying . . . .
Apr
22
2010
In her last blog post, Kathryn mentioned that it may be problematic that the latest compact between Florida and the Seminoles assigns revenue sharing payments to the state to the state's general treasury. Well, the temperature just got turned up on that potential problem. The U.S. Perspectives from Florida
Jan
27
2010
An editorial in the Tampa Tribune takes Florida's legislature to task for failing to approve the revised compact negotiated between the Seminoles and Gov. Charlie Crist. And rightly so -- as we've said numerous times, Florida's continued obstructionism flies in the face of IGRA's requirements and Congress's intent, not to mention tribal sovereignty and respectful government-to-government relations.But it seems to always be about money, rather than legal duties, mutual respect, or even what's right.
Update in Florida: Still Hope . . . ???
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.Economic Tidbits (and Trends?)
Oct
31
2009
This week's headlines provided an interesting juxtaposition in the financial health of the Indian gaming industry. Is any of this indicative of a new trend?Florida Legislature Calls for NIGC to Shut Down Seminole Games
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.