Las Vegas Sands would like to 'Go Big' in Florida

A representative of Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas Sands Corporation told Florida lawmakers Tuesday that the way to take gaming in the state is to go big.

Nick Iarossi, a lobbyist for the worlds largest destination-resort developer, told the House Select Committee on Gaming that they should create a tax rate that allows destination casinos to do it right on a large scale.

What we would encourage this committee to look at, and the legislature as a whole, is providing a tax rate that provides incentive to go big, to build an iconic structure that not just caters to locals or to regionals around Florida but will convince people to travel to Florida from out of state and out of country in order to see and visit and spend their money in the economy here, he said.

Florida should also look at the Las Vegas regulatory structure, Iarossi said, and consider a gaming commission.

Attempting to weed through the noise of naysayers, Iarossi said that South Florida already has the same amount of slots as are located on the Las Vegas strip.

"When slot machines were authorized in South Florida the sky didnt fall," he said in response to critics.

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