The clock will continue to slowly tick on the future of gambling in Florida, with the deadline now apparently set for the 2014 legislative session.
Will Florida re-up the Florida Seminole Compact, inevitably give in to the casino interests or simply allow each facet from the Miami-Dade casinos to the Panhandle pari-mutuels, to the greyhound and horse tracks, to the Internet cafes to remain regulated, or unregulated?
While there are a number of bills in the legislative pipeline focused on imposing some form of regulation on Internet cafes, Senate Gaming Committee Chairman Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, said Tuesday he doesnt expect any wide-ranging, meaningful action this year regarding the overall future of gambling in Florida.
If there are any bills that get referred here well look at those bills, but from where I stand on it, I want to do something deliberative and proper, Richter said.
As for the Internet cafe bills, maybe there is initial direction we want to take there, he said, but it wouldnt stall the process at looking at the bigger picture. It would just be one of those sublets.
On Tuesday, pari-mutuel operators extolled the virtues -- revenue, taxes, jobs -- as well as hardships: uneven revenue collection levels, restricting imposed by Seminole compact, the rampant growth of the unregulated Internet cafes -- on their industry.
They also, without directly saying so, urged some regulation of the Internet cafes that skirt the gaming laws by offering sweepstake prizes rather than direct cash winners.
I think it would be irresponsible to ignore them, said Gary Rutledge, a lobbyist representing the St. Petersburg Kennel Club.
Meanwhile, opponents, including No Casinos and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, continued to warn that allowing mega-casinos will simply eat into existing businesses wherever theyre allowed to open.
Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami, joined with those critical of allowing mega-casinos, which she said would cannibalize the fabric of her community.
Miami is a great destination without gambling, Margolis declared. We dont have a recession in Miami, we came out of it first because of tourism. I dont need a casino there. This destination place will be smack in the middle of my district and I dont want to see my district become Atlantic City.
With a study to be commissioned between the Senate and House, along with at least two more workshops on the economic and social welfare of existing gaming industries in Florida to be held next month, Richter said the committee may not need to meet at all during the 2013 session, which would rule out any new bills being filed.
Instead, Richter is first interested in hearing from the casino giants that want into Florida, the Seminoles and representatives from the Internet cafe industry.
He expects the study -- still being drafted and with no current price tag -- to take all summer. Also, he expressed a desire to hold regional meetings to make it easier for citizens to present their views.
The committee is scheduled to meet again Feb. 4, with lobbyists from the Internet cafe industry expected to testify. Another meeting will be in mid-February with lobbyists for the destination-casinos industry and possibly the Seminole Tribe appearing.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
