The Florida House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to give final approval to a gambling deal that would permit the Seminole Tribe to offer sports wagering in the US State and will see it going to the federal Department of the Interior.
The House passed the bill to enact the compact by a vote of 97-17, a day after the state’s Senate voted 39-1 on Tuesday to approve the measure.
The 30-year deal, known as a compact, was announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida last month. At least $2.5 billion will be received by the state over the following five years and an estimated $20 billion over the course of the 30 year deal. The tribe would be operating sports betting and would receive other benefits including permission to offer roulette and craps at its casinos.
Republican Randy Fine commented that it is a good deal for their state and that he did not know if they could get a better deal. He added that he has this deal and a closer path to a million and half dollars a day.
Democrats opposing the bill argued that the compact violates a state constitutional amendment preventing the expansion of gambling without voter approval and questioned whether it will survive a legal challenge. They added that the state could have made a better deal.
Democrat Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith said they are told that this compact does not violate Amendment 3 because it is not an expansion of gambling because of course sports betting on their phone app is happening through servers on tribal land.
Marcellus Osceola jr., Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, thanked Florida legislators and the governor.