Poker rooms across Florida could soon be open 24 hours and pot sizes that eclipse several thousand dollars may start becoming the norm.
A House committee Monday passed a bill that would bring pari-mutuels and jai alai frontons significant upgrades in an effort to compete against Indian casinos such as the Hard Rock Casino near Hollywood.
For pari-mutuels, it levels the playing field and for poker players, it signals the return to true no-limit style play.
Poker rooms have generally been limited by small betting amounts and even tighter buy-ins. The might as well have been playing cards with nickels and dimes compared to the action players can get at an Indian casino.
Indian gaming has expanded and allow big bets and large pot sizes. The Seminole Tribe is pushing for true no-limit games with high stakes.
The new House plan for non-Indian gaming establishments would raise the buy in for no-limit hold 'em games from $100 to $1,000 and increase the max bet in limit games from $5 to $50.
The bill also lessens the state's rake on slots.
Local
License fees for slot machine rooms at South Florida pari-mutuels would be lowered from $3 million to $2 million and taxes on the machines would be cut from 50 percent to double what the Seminole Tribe would share under a gambling compact.
That means pari-mutuels would pay 36 percent tax under a House compact proposal.
