Meanwhile, the Seminoles, who want to add craps and roulette at tribal casinos, have warned Scott and legislative leaders the U.S. Department of the Interior, which must sign off on a compact, would not approve any deal that requires the tribe to pay more to the state unless the terms also include additional exclusivity.
“I can’t tell you if we’ll ultimately reach a full resolution this session but I can tell you that the major interests and the people who would be part of this resolution — such as the Florida House, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the governor’s office — they also understand that at this point inaction is not an option,” Galvano said before Thursday’s 32-6 vote on the Senate bill.
Senators spent less than four minutes on the measure, which sailed through two committees prior to being considered by the full chamber.
Galvano told reporters he would “walk away” from any deal that did not resolve the legal disputes.
The movement of the proposals before the legislative session’s midpoint — and the promise of a conference committee to negotiate the issue, a departure from the past — cheered the pari-mutuel industry, which has been unable to force lawmakers to approve major gambling-related legislation for years.