Casinos may have lost in the 2012 legislative session and there isnt much call for revisiting the issue in 2013.
But perhaps the premier organ of the industry nationwide, Gaming Today, points out that gaming interests havent really had much opposition despite years of anti-gaming expansion from the Capitol, with Florida growing into the nation's fourth largest state for gambling.
Considering the explosion of gambling since past Gov. Lawton Chiles pronounced there would never be such expansion in his tenure (20 years ago) and subsequently echoed by Gov. Jeb Bush (10 years ago), the state is now a model for all manner of gaming run amok," wrote Gaming Today.
"Florida is the fourth largest grossing gambling state in the nation."
And those gaming interests are biding their time with Malasian-based Genting and other gambling interests to circumvent the Legislature by seeking voter approval for their glittering goals.
And they already have an example that this will work in Florida.
The advent of slot parlors (racinos) in Miami-Dade and Broward County race tracks and frontons was approved by a statewide mandate in 2004 following years of haggling and state Supreme Court rulings, Gaming Today noted.
The longtime stubborn, conservative Legislature and governor were bypassed. Fact: Gambling expanded.
Read more here.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
