Seminole Slots Could Fund Education

According to Governor Charlie Crist the slots revenue that the state could be getting from the Seminole tribe could change the face of education for the state. The state is currently looking at cutting $700 million from public schools, but the slots could change that.

Crist says that he is hoping to reach a deal with the Seminole tribe that would allow them to have their slots, but the state would be able to tax them. He says that with that slots revenue they would actually be able to give more money to the public school system instead of less.

Experts say however, that the amount of money that they would get from the slots would still only be a “fraction” of what the school system needs. They say that the slots would bring them somewhere around $50 million, not $700. Eventually, the state could be looking at around $200 million after the slots have been running for a few years – but experts say that the $700 million mark is way off base.

With Broward County allowing slots to come in, the tribe is traditionally allowed slots as well. The state is trying to come to an agreement with them so that they can get slots revenue from the tribe, instead of them just getting to have the slots with nothing coming back to the state. If they do not enter into a compact with the tribe, chances of the state not getting any of the slots revenue are fairly good.

Back to August 2007 Archive.