Five For Florida

Two Florida senators, Republican Dennis Jones, chair of the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, and Democrat Maria Sachs, committee vice chair, recently filed legislation to allow Las Vegas-style casino hotels in five select districts throughout the state.

The Senate bill will have to be passed by the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, the full legislature and the governor. Also, voters in each of the five selected districts—Dade and Broward counties, Palm Beach County, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Panama City-Pensacola—would have to approve the proposed casino. Republican Rep. Erik Fresen filed similar legislation in the House. The legislative session will end on May 6.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state’s parimutuels both have announced they will fight the legislation.

Jones said a bidding process would be used to select the five “destination resorts,” and he already has been approached by eight casino operators. Bidders would be required to pay a $50 million non-refundable licensing fee and a $1 million non-refundable application fee; 95 percent of that money would be directed to the state’s general fund. The agency that would market the new casino resorts and a state education fund would share the remaining 5 percent. The Destination Resort Gaming Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate, would be formed to regulate the new casino gambling. 

According to the legislation, the casino resorts must contain at least 500,000 square feet for meetings and conventions and a minimum of 1,000 hotel rooms. No more than 10 percent of their square footage can be allocated for gambling. Jones said an estimated 8 million-10 million out-of-state tourists would visit the new casinos, and 3.5 million Floridians would not leave the state to gamble.

Among the interested parties are Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment and others.