Seminole Tribe sues state over blackjack

The Seminole Tribe of Florida claims in court that the state breached its gaming contract with the tribe by refusing to reauthorize the playing baccarat, blackjack and other “banked” card games at its casinos.

Back in 2010, the Seminoles signed a 20-year gambling compact with Florida, which authorized them to feature slot machines and table games at their casinos.

In a statement, attributed to Billie, he said, there was “significant progress in the Tribe’s negotiations with the Governor and leaders of the Florida Legislature relative to finalizing a new Compact agreement, and the Tribe remains hopeful that a positive outcome will result”. However, the tribe was granted 90 more days to shut the banked card games.

But in its lawsuit the Seminole Tribe accused the state of not negotiating in good faith.

The exclusive rights to the banked card games expired July 31, and a 90-day grace period ends Thursday.

The tribe has said it plans to continue the games. Thus, it says, it is entitled under the compact to continue to operate banking or banked card games, and to begin offering banking or banked card games at its Brighton and Big Cypress gaming facilities.

“The state’s expectations are that the tribe will live up to its obligations”, Bradley said. This is not an in-your-face or anything.

Diaz, who chairs the House Regulated Affairs Committee, told the Herald/Times the matter is complicated because legislators are divided over most of the issues and any final agreement must appease those who want to protect their local parimutuels, tamp down gaming expansion or use the compact to generate more state revenue.

Under the current negotiations, the Seminoles would be expected to pay no less than $3 billion to Florida over a seven-year period.

Despite ongoing talks, the lawsuit alleges the state is not negotiated in good faith because it has demanded modifications to the remaining provisions of the compact “to substantially increase the Tribe’s payments to the State…without a proportionate increase in economic benefit to the Tribe”.

Gov. Scott and his office did not comment on the lawsuit and the Seminoles’ intention to continue providing blackjack after October 29. A Palm Beach County dog track could have slot machines, a new gambling operation in Miami-Dade County could start up with slot machines, and dog tracks could stop racing greyhounds while retaining lucrative card rooms. The tribe contends that allowing such games violated its rights to exclusivity in operating banked card games, which typically involve players betting against the house instead of each other. The legislature failed to renew it or reach a new deal with the tribe in time, and the card games are supposed to go away at the end of the week.

“The tribe and the state are negotiating either an extension of the compact or a new compact”, said Gary Bitner, a spokesman for the tribe. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, is part of the dispute process spelled out in federal law.

“The tribe has no option but to file in order to protect its interests and those of the 3,100 employees and their families whose jobs are in jeopardy”, the statement said.