TheĀ Seminole Tribe of FloridaĀ has paid the stateĀ nearly $20 million this month inĀ gamblingĀ revenue share, according to public recordsĀ releasedĀ Tuesday.
TheĀ Department of Business and Professional Regulation‘s “licensingĀ and revenue intake system” shows two depositsĀ ofĀ $9.75 million were made last Thursday. The agencyĀ regulates gambling in the state.
That intake system is limited to single deposits of no moreĀ than $10 million, DBPR spokesmanĀ Stephen LawsonĀ explained, so the $19.5 million payment had to be split in two.Ā The money will go into the state’sĀ General Revenue Fund, Lawson previously said.
The Tribe is seeking to extend a “compact” with the state to exclusively offer blackjack in return for a cut of that revenue, even though a federal judge ruled the state broke the original deal and the tribe can offer “banked card games” through 2030.
The Seminoles offer blackjack at five of theirĀ seven casinos, including the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino inĀ Tampa.
āAs further evidence of its positive approach, the Tribe is continuing to make monthly payments to the state that will total $306 million this year,ā spokesmanĀ Gary BitnerĀ told FloridaPolitics.com earlier this month.
The original 2010 deal actually wound up being worth more than $200 million per year in revenue share to state coffers. Blackjack and other gambling, including slots, has brought in billions for the tribe.
A renewed blackjack agreementĀ struck by Gov. Rick ScottĀ earlier this year promisedĀ $3 billion over sevenĀ years in revenue share to the state, but it failed to gain approval from lawmakers.
BothĀ House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron say they support bringing thatĀ deal back before lawmakers in the 2017 Legislative Session.
But while Corcoran says there must be a reduction in overall gambling in the state, Negron says he’s OK with expanding gambling opportunities.
