Florida is the next battleground for Vegas casino companies

It looks like Florida will be the next battleground for the Vegas casino companies. This is because, according to an article in the Miami Herald, the Seminole tribe in South Florida has been negotiating with the state to add real roulette and real craps.

The negotiations with the state have not been going well and now the tribe and the State are both in Federal Court because the compact between the Tribe and the State needs to be renewed.

Some state legislators at balking at giving the Seminoles what they want and I can understand why getting a new compact with the Seminoles is facing delays:

1. The number one issue is gaming in Miami and/or Miami Beach. If non-Indian casinos are allowed to set up shop in Miami the state could have even more money and it would also create more jobs for local workers, and would be a boost to the airlines, the cruise lines and to the hotel operators. I worked at WTVJ in Miami for 6 years back in the 1980s and when casinos were brought up the locals immediately struck down the idea. Disney even said no to gaming in Central Florida and Disney had a lot of power then -- and now -- in the state. Disney was also a real estate developer in the Miami area in the 80s.

2. The Non-Indian casino companies are probably also pressuring legislators in Florida because they would want the Miami casinos. There is a lot of money in South Florida coming from South and Central America and Europe. Miami is still America's playground.

3. Even if the Seminoles get to keep blackjack, the non-Indian gaming companies will try to block any expansion of gaming to include roulette and craps because if they get a license for Miami, that would make Miami casinos different. And even if they didn't get a license for Miami they'd want to keep craps and roulette out so that other casinos in other states might have that small competitive edge.

About 12 years ago the Indian casinos tried to push through a State Constitution Amendment here in California to allow them to expand to include craps and roulette. The Vegas casinos poured money into a campaign to block it. They also wanted to block several non-Indian poker casinos from expanding to include slots and craps and roulette. While the Indian casinos have put a big dent in Vegas gaming revenue and the LA area is still the capitol of poker, the Vegas casino companies will do whatever they can to keep whatever "gaming exclusives" they can.