Casino-Resort Authorization Not In Cards For Florida This Year: ReportCasino Interests Will Have To Continue Struggle Next Year |
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Massive commercial casino-resorts will not be authorized in and for Florida this year, according to a report from the Bradenton Herald. Lawmakers in the state reportedly have conceded that the proposal is off the table during this session.
The news isn’t too surprising, however.
Instead, lawmakers are looking to pass a bill that would phase out greyhound racing.
According to the report, “Florida is home to 13 of the last remaining 21 greyhound tracks in the nation. But as attendance has declined and people have spent less money betting on dogs, state law requires them to operate the same number of races they were running as nearly two decades ago.”
Casino firms, such as Las Vegas Sands and Resorts World Miami (owned by Genting), the latter of which is hoping to build a casino on property it owns in Miami, will surely continue the fight next year for the go-ahead to build. The lobbying has been pricey.
Commercial casino interests have been trying since the 1970s to get approval to build, but it hasn’t panned out. Disney is a powerful opponent to the casino-resorts.
According to Bloomberg, the state found that commercial casino resorts could generate $1.5 billion in spending annually in Florida. The state’s tourism industry is $71.8 billion.
Right now, Florida has tribal casinos (which are not considered commercial), a handful of them, in addition to 31 pari-mutuel facilities. The tribal casinos in the state have the forms of casino gambling you’d find in a Las Vegas casino, minus the craps and roulette.
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