Seminoles Sign Florida Compact

The Seminole Tribe has signed a slots and table games compact with the state of Florida that will allow them to have Class III slots at their casinos as well as baccarat and blackjack, in return for paying the state a portion of the proceeds from their gaming. The tribe will be able to offer the slots and table games from their seven existing facilities on tribal lands in Immokalee, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hillsborough and three locations in Broward County.

The slots compact is for 25 years and gives the tribe the exclusive rights to offer the table games in the state. The tribe will pay the state a minimum of $100 million a year for that right, and that money will go towards Florida’s schools.

The tribe’s leaders thanked Governor Charlie Crist for listening to them and said that he was the first one who listened to what they wanted and needed to do. They said that this deal would benefit both the tribe and the state’s children, and that it was a “good day for everybody.”

Crist said that he was happy that the slots compact was signed. He said that as the state was planning on stepping in anyway, it was good that they were able to come to an agreement. He said that with these additional funds they would now be able to help education as well as pay their teachers more money.

Even Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said that this was a good deal. He said that he was happy that they were able to come to an agreement and that both the state and the tribe would benefit from it.

There were those of course that were not happy with the signing of the deal. Some legislators said that they would not pass the bill in the House and the governor said that they did not have to, as per their Constitution they don’t have to ratify anything – the federal government does.



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