Florida is another state that is working with slots gaming. Legislators have been debating the issue out in past months and there are changes coming about as a result. It is no secret that slots gaming is highly lucrative for any jurisdiction. Cities that bring the games reap the benefits via tax revenue dollars. An increase in slots gaming is already on the table and a signed deal. The Seminole tribe was allowed to increase their own gambling activity and that included bulking up their slot machines at their seven different state locations. The tribal leaders are hoping that the addition of slots will help to increase their own revenues. They have been suffering since the recession and having problems with facing their own financial obligations. It has been hard for them to keep income coming in and they are struggling to keep financially afloat. The increase in slots could bring them the dollars needed to turn themselves around.

Governor Rick Scott has made a change on his gambling stance too. Formerly he was vocal about not wanting an increase in slots gaming. He maintained that the number of slots in the state were already enough and were bringing in adequate income to change the market. Now he’s changing his mind though. The Governor stated that he is willing to adapt to market changes and is ready to increase games as needed. He knows and acknowledges how lucrative the games are. In Florida, gambling expansion is something that all legislators are pushing for. They believe that it is the only thing that will truly turn the market around. The expansion efforts by legislators is going to make a lot of changes. Namely gambling facilities now will have the approval to offer no-limit poker tables and offer bigger numbers of slots games to the public. They also cut the tax rate for existing gaming facilities and expanded the hours of operations thanks to the new gambling laws instilled. The bill to expand further is still on the table and the heavily republican conservative state most likely is going to fight hard to keep gaming changes out. Only time will tell if it goes through or is left for future debate once again.

Florida is another state that is on the brink of gambling changes. Right now the state is pushing for change and coming up with a lot of different options in terms of games. The Seminole Casino is the one right now that is focusing on development and evolution. Casino operators are hoping to develop their games into Vegas-style games. This means that they want to make their games even more exciting for gamers. For a long time Las Vegas has been one of those cities that offers the best games. Now Florida is pushing to replicate their former success and bring the same level of gaming for their own state’s gaming plan. The Seminole Casino owners are hoping that the move to expand their own gaming will help to contribute to their own success rate in the market. Right now a lot of Indian-owned companies are having problems with wagering revenues. They have seen diminishing numbers since the recession and beyond. It is making things difficult for gaming companies to turn things around. Right now to turn things around, the Seminole tribe is hoping to bring in Las Vegas style slots games to their casino floor. They want to take advantage of the state’s offer to hold exclusive table games on their floor.

In the end, this could be a great move for the tribal leaders to turn the casino around. Since the recession their numbers have been down. With the rise of the internet and its own gaming, along with neighboring state’s own casinos it is being more difficult to survive. Competition in the market is fierce and that is causing the market to continue to struggle. In particular Indian-owned casinos who have made the money needed for years now are having a very difficult time turning things around. They are suffering and the owners are looking for ways to bring better gaming in. If they can bring in Las Vegas styled casinos slots, this could help them to bring in a new customer base and increase their own revenue streams. This would be the most important thing they can do for their own future survival.

The problem began years ago when the Seminole Indians tried bringing slot machines to the state of Florida. Then-Governor Jeb Bush petitioned hard to keep slots out of the state. It was a pretty simple issue at the time because slots were not allowed. To bring them in would have involved heavy changes in legislation and the chances of the fight beginning back then, just wasn’t that probable. Now, however things are different.

Since the recession many legislators have changed their minds regarding slots and the reason is primarily financial. The recession ravaged most state coffers and finding money is a difficult task. Deficits are huge and the way many legislators are trying to overcome the problem is through legalizing slots gambling. Historically, slots parlors are highly lucrative. Las Vegas is a city where gambling has varied throughout the year, but almost inevitably the slots parlors are packed. Legislators know this and are working hard to bring legislation into states that would allow gambling tax revenues to benefit the state’s finances.

Part of the reason the issue is being pushed is because Miami Dade and Broward Counties voted to allow slot machines in their counties so the state now had to comply and them to bring them in. Had Florida jumped on the slot machine bandwagon sooner, it would have been able to write the rules in terms of how slots revenue would be portioned out. Because it didn’t, it now has to be careful to watch now the two counties wrote their legislative code regarding slots gambling. They could have cut themselves a good chunk of revenue first, and then portioned it out to the counties and cities that wanted to move into gambling.

The Seminold Indian Tribe is hurting for cash and so is the state. It seems like the two are coming to an agreement regarding slots and hoping to both benefit from the revenues available. Now the the recession is over, economists are hoping that people start putting more money into the economy.That includes gambling– if people start gambling again, the Seminole Indian Tribe will be able to save their businesses and the state of Florida will be able to work down its huge deficit.

Bill Seebeck thought he was lucky. He visited the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida to have some fun. He played the slot machine “Bally Ultimate Party Spin Slot” at a $4 wager requirement. After losing about $100 he looked up and realized he had hit the huge payout of $166,666,666.65.  Seebeck jumped for joy when he saw the number and realized he was now officially a millionaire. He thought of how his life would be changing and how many opportunities were at his feet now that his small slots session turned into a huge win. He was mentally making the decision as to what he would do with his earnings and how he could easily change his familys’ life. Then it happened.

The Seminole Hard Rock Casino roped off the area and went into heavy deliberations for about an hour. This gave Seebeck plenty of time to continue his dreaming and wondering how soon he could have his cash to start his dream life. Casino officials came over and then told him that the slot machine had malfunctioned and that it only was due the payout of $199,000. He was immediately requested to sign a form stating he was not entitled to the million dollar payout and that the machine malfunctioned. Seebeck refused and hired legal representation instead.

Now Seebeck is considering his legal options regarding the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. He is asking that if casino officials knew the machine was malfunctioning, why wasn’t it closed down? Also, why was he left for over an hour to think about his big win, when they knew they were going to claim he didn’t win?  Seebeck is maintaining that the casino wanted the publicity of a big win, without ever paying it out.  Currently Seebeck is reviewing options and the casino stands by its decision. It is under fire, however from critics who say that the casino could have definitely handled the issue in a much more sensitive and professional manner.  The casino had no further explaination or statement about the issue and is reviewing their own documentations and procedures regarding payouts and payout procedures. They are also updating their protocols for malfunctions and problem machines to avoid the same issue in the future.

Charlie Crist, Florida Governor, recently gave a vacant Senate position to George LeMieux.  Although this normally would go unnoticed, in this case it was big news to the online gambling world.  LeMieux has been working with Crist to aid the Seminole Indian Tribe in writing up a gambling agreement.

The Seminole Indian Tribe makes up about 12,400 of the US population. The tribe initially began raising stock back in the 70s. It was the hope of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or BIA, to aid the Seminoles in becoming citizens by using agricultural settlements.  The organization was also hoping to bring the tribe a newfound independence and self-sufficiency. Since that time the tribe worked in economies mostly based on duty-free tobacco, resort tourism and gambling. In December of 2006 the tribe purchased the Hard Rock Café chain of restaurants.

The Seminole Tribe, Crist and LeMieux all have a history together. In 2007, the three worked together to draw up a gambling agreement. Crist conceded to their agreement and LeMieux was instrumental in the negotiations.  Now, the three are once again working together to find a solution to the question of internet gambling.

LeMieux is commonly known throughout the Senate as a strong advocate for reversing the ban on internet gambling. He could be integral to overturning, or amending, the UIGEA of 2006.  In addition, he has Senators Robert Menendez and Barney Frank to aid in the question of internet gambling. Both Senators have showed strong support for legalizing and regulating the practice and both see the huge revenue potential available.

Only time will tell how LeMieux plays out his Senate duties and if he is the one to help internet gambling gain a foothold in the US. With strong support, however, it seems that the lifting of the ban is inevitable. Add to that the amount of potential revenues available and it’s hard to turn down billions of casino-tax dollars that could help the economies of the US. Almost every state is suffering from the recession and having to find creative ways of dealing with huge deficits. Gambling taxes could be the answer everyone is looking for.