State House Postpones Vote on Gaming Bill
Delay in House could doom bill that would bring casinos to South Florida
Delay in House could doom bill that would bring casinos to South Florida.
A state House panel postponed a vote Friday on a bill that would bring three casinos to South Florida.
House Bill 487 would grant casino licenses to developers who pledged to spend $2 billion on resorts.
The delay in the House is likely to doom the proposal. A Senate panel has already approved a version of the legislation, but the measure has stalled as senators wait to see if there are enough votes in the House to pass a bill.
Jack Lowell, a supporter of the destination casinos and the former president of the Beacon Council in Miami, said that the effort is not dead and that the sponsors will bring the bill back next year.
“It gives us time to study things properly and to really make sure that whatever gets to the legislature gives the protection we want to see locally,” Lowell said.
HB 487 would limit resort casinos to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, allow the governor and cabinet to oversee a new Department of Gaming Control and ban Internet cafes.
Senate Bill 710 allows pari-mutuels to offer the same games as casinos while a new statewide gambling commission would oversee the Department of Gaming. It also regulates Internet cafes.
Both bills would set 10 percent tax rates on gaming revenue for resort casinos and pari-mutuels and both would allow for voters to have a final say by referendum.
“About 62 percent of Miami-Dade and Broward voters want the legislature to pass the bill ad leave it in the hands of local voters,” said former Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas.
The casino legislation has been one of the most heavily lobbied bills of the 2012 session. Backers have contended it would create tens of thousands of jobs at a time when the state's unemployment rate remains above the national average.
"I’m of the theory that a rising tide lifts all boats. That is the lesson from Singapore. Creating a very high quality facility actually creates a greater market for everybody,” Lowell said.
Former state Sen. Dan Gelber disagreed with the promised job creation.
“Well, look at Atlantic City where they made the same promises and within a few years, 30 percent of restaurants and 40 percent of retail closed. It doesn’t create new jobs; it simply cannibalizes existing home grown businesses,” said Gelber.
Resorts World Miami, the company who planned to construct a casino on the old Miami Herald building, issued a statement after the proposal was postponed.
"We greatly appreciate the hard work of the destination resorts legislation bill sponsors, as well as all those who support efforts to bring common sense gaming reform and jobs to Florida," said Jessica Hoppe, general counsel for Resorts World Miami. "Resorts World Miami remains committed to the vision of world-class destination resorts in South Florida, and will continue to work with the state legislature and the South Florida community to bring this vision into a reality."
Copyright Associated Press / NBC 6 Miami
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