MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - The mayor of Miami Beach and other business owners said they do not want gambling in Florida, as Tallahassee lawmakers reconvene for a special session to discuss the compact reached between the state and the Seminole Tribe.
Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reached a tentative new compact with the Seminole Tribe that would expand gambling on Seminole land and allow sports betting, but Tallahassee lawmakers have to ratify the 30-year agreement.
However, some, like Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, have pushed back against the state, saying voters decided on the matter in 2018.
“The citizens of the state of Florida said, very simply, loudly to the Florida legislature, ‘We don’t want you putting gambling in our backyard. We don’t want you putting it in our phones. We want to have a say,'” Gelber said.
Other business owners joined the mayor on Monday, as state lawmakers discuss whether or not to expand gambling and allow sports betting.
“This is not a partisan issue,” Armando Codina, of Codina Partners, said. “This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. This is an issue about my grandchildren.”
Critics argued this brokered deal would violate Amendment 3 of the Florida Constitution. It grants the voters the last say on the expansion of casino gambling.
“We do not believe the Florida legislature should be expanding gambling in a way that is inconsistent with the Florida Constitution,” said Gelber.
Officials said the compact would bring $2.5 billion over the first five years and create thousands of jobs.
“The money that we generate from our casinos is life-changing, from an education and a health standpoint,” said Marcellus Osceola, Jr. with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
The Seminones would be allowed to offer sports betting at their casinos in South Florida, but not until October. They would also be able to introduce craps and roulette at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. The deal would also allow the tribe to add three additional facilities within its Hollywood reservation.
“You’re not going to see new casinos pop up in Miami Beach or Fort Lauderdale Beach,” said State Rep. Chip LaMarca. “You’re not going to see that. That would have to go to the voters, anything like that.”
However, it appears there is a disagreement on the details. Legislators have already made amendments to the deal, with more expected in the days to come.
“Since when do the voters’ votes not count? Since when do they not matter? They do matter, and we voted no,” said Joe’s Stone Crab owner Steve Sawitz. “I, as a restaurant owner, as a business owner and as a resident of my beloved Miami Beach do not want it here.”
The original compact between the Seminole tribe and the state expired in 2015. There have been several efforts to get a new compact passed, but those attempts have failed.
It remains unclear whether or not supporters of the compact in the Florida legislature have enough votes to ratify the deal.
Meanwhile, representatives from several entities opposed to gambling, including Braman Motors in Miami, said they will take this fight to the courts if the agreement is signed into law.
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