Feds approve Seminole gambling deal

By Josh Hafenbrack
© 2010, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Tallahassee: It's finally – and officially -- a done deal: The federal government has signed off on Florida's blackjack gambling deal with the Seminole Indian tribe.

Now ratified by the federal Department of the Interior, which oversees state-tribal compacts, the $1 billion deal authorizes the tribe to offer blackjack at five casinos in Florida until 2014. The tribe also gets exclusive rights to Vegas-style slot machines except in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, where voters already approved slots.

This was the third gambling deal between Gov. Charlie Crist and the tribe since 2007. The first was thrown out by the state Supreme Court, the second rejected by the Legislature. All the sides finally came to a revenue-sharing agreement during the legislative session that ended in May.

"Sometimes it takes a long journey to reach your goal, and it means more when you finally get there," said Mitchell Cypress, chairman of the Seminole tribe.

The Seminoles are now legally authorized to offer blackjack and other card games such as baccarat at five casinos, including its flagship Hard Rock casinos in Hollywood and Tampa. Additionally, the tribe can add blackjack at two smaller casinos in Broward, in Coconut Creek and Hollywood.

The blackjack deal expires after five years. At that point, the state could extend its arrangement with the Seminoles, eliminate blackjack altogether or expand table games to resort-style casinos similar to those in Las Vegas.

The tribe will pay the state $150 million next year, $233 million in 2012 and 2013 and $234 million in 2014. If the tribe's profits increase, the state also could get a cut of the revenues from 12 to 25 percent.