The Great Florida Casino Debate went public with the word bull**t .
That was out of the mouth of Colin Au, the president of Genting America. Au and his company are the folks proposing a mega destination resort on Biscayne Bay. Genting was making their case to a legislative workshop considering Senate Bill 710 which would allow up to three destination resorts in Florida. The Genting group calls their project a destination resort and likes to forget the word casino which is what the talk, the promotion and the legislation is all about.
If passed, Senate Bill 710, will bring big time Las Vegas style gambling off the Seminole Indian Reservation and plunk it down in the heart of tourist-driven South Florida. That of couse has caused a lot of concern from local slot machine casino operators, business groups, but on the other hand, the promise of glitzy enterntaiment centers, with gambling, has the construction industry and plenty of job seekers salavating not to mention tourism officials and convention promoters who see added hotle rooms and the gambling amenities to add to the glamour and beaches of South Florida.
Au promised his project will create 100,000 direct and indrect jobs, airlines would add nonstop worldwide flights into Miami pulling in 4-6 million more visitors to South Florida which would have a spill over effect for attractions like Disney World. HIs pitch included a prediction that the destination resort package would bring $1.7 billion dollars into state coffers.
Lawmakers questioned the numbers. Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff, who is a sponsor of Senate Bill 710 thought the numbers were overblown.
"There is no way you are giong to get 100,000 jobs," she said.
As far as the bulls**t, that was Au tamping down rumors that workers would be imported from Atlantic City and Las Vegas to staff the proposed facility. That's been a hot street rumor ever since a Miami Herald article on the project indicated that part of the masive entertainment complex would contain "housing for foreign workers."
The workshop was just that, no vote taken, just information gathered. The destination resorts legislation will face massive scrutiny and resistance from traditional Florida anti-gaming interest groups. The gaming industry has hired an army of well financed lobbiests. It will be a battle royal, it will get personal and ugly.
