The appellate court ordered gambling regulators to reinstate West Flagler’s summer jai alai application.
“The decision frees up the opportunity for new permits with the potential for multiple new cardroom locations, provided they conduct the jai alai activity,” Lockwood told The News Service of Florida on Tuesday.
Industry experts estimate that Tuesday’s decision could open the door for at least a half-dozen more summer jai alai permits in Broward or Miami-Dade counties and could even allow the new permit-holders to add slot machines at some point in the future.
“It’s just further chaos that creates more uncertainty,” said Marc Dunbar, an attorney with the Jones Walker law firm who specializes in gambling law.
The appellate decision came as lawmakers struggle to reach consensus on a new broad gambling plan in an attempt to strike a new gambling deal, known as a compact, with the Seminole Tribe. It’s also the latest in a string of court rulings that could affect how much money the state receives from the tribe. The Florida Supreme Court is poised to decide on a separate case that centers on whether pari-mutuels can add slot machines in counties where voters have approved them, without the express permission of the Legislature.
