By DARA KAM
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
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THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, April 4, 2017……… In a decision that opens the door for a poker room in downtown Miami — and possibly others throughout South Florida — an appeals court on Tuesday decided that gambling regulators were wrong to deny a new pari-mutuel permit to a Miami operator.
The 1st District Court of Appeal decision is a major victory for West Flagler Associates, which operates Magic City Casino in Miami and plans to open a cardroom downtown.
The dispute between West Flagler and the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation, centers on “summer” jai alai permits, the source of several previous legal challenges. The permits allow pari-mutuels to operate lucrative cardrooms.
The case stems from a Florida law that creates the possibility of converting other pari-mutuel permits to summer jai alai permits. The law allows Miami-Dade and Broward pari-mutuels that have the lowest betting handle for two consecutive years to convert to summer jai alai permits. But if those pari-mutuels do not seek conversion, other facilities can seek the permits.
