Florida House Votes to Pass Seminole Blackjack Bill; Senate Postpones Vote

Today the Florida House took an important step to settle the Sunshine State’s ongoing dispute with the Seminole Indian tribe over the rights to offer blackjack in casinos, however the State Senate delayed a vote on the compact for one week, extending a disagreement that has been ongoing since last summer.

Florida’s House of Representatives voted to approve of the compact, but with several new amendments attached. That caused Senate Regulated Industries Committee Chairman Rob Bradley to exert his authority and postpone discussion and debate of the bill for a week, allowing those in the committee to review the changes.

“My intention is to (temporarily postpone) the gaming bills today for one week to give our committee members the opportunity to digest the various amendments being filed,” said Bradley.

The Seminoles and state had an agreement in 2010 that gave the Indian tribe exclusive rights to shoe games (including blackjack), but the deal expired last summer, and because the state allowed other casinos to offer electronic blackjack games, the Seminoles cried foul. An agreement between the two groups was not reached until last month, when Governor Rick Scott and the Seminoles came to a 7-year deal worth $3 billion, which would expand the exclusive game rights to games such as roulette.

Online Blackjack Odds will update this story as more developments arise.

This blog entry was posted on Wednesday, February 10th, 2016 at 6:43 pm and is filed under Blackjack News.