An announcement from the Senate President about new gaming laws may reignite the dialogue about sports activities betting in Florida.
Senate President Wilton Simpson introduced Wednesday the Senate is taking over laws to enhance the regulatory framework of Florida’s present gaming exercise.
Three gaming payments will likely be on the Monday agenda for the Committee on Regulated Industries.
One of many payments (SPB 7076) would set up the Florida Gaming Management Fee throughout the Workplace of the Legal professional Common. The five-member committee would have legislation enforcement authority over gaming legal guidelines.
A associated invoice (SB 7078) offers with public information to maintain particulars of the Gaming Management Fee’s prison investigations out of the general public eye.
“Acceptable regulatory controls construct public confidence and result in a stronger gaming trade that may spur financial development that advantages the companies and our state. An unbiased Gaming Management Fee is crucial to this effort,” Simpson mentioned in a press release.
A 3rd invoice (SB 7080) removes elements of a legislation governing pari-mutuel permitholders, together with jai alai, harness, and quarter horse racing, that require a sure stage of dwell racing or competitors for pari-mutual wagering to happen. Pari-mutuel is a sort of betting. The invoice signifies that patrons may wager on competitions going down at one other in-state location.
The invoice marks a tepid step to develop playing within the state. Simpson particularly talked about the invoice wouldn’t embrace sports activities betting.
Simpson indicated discussions with the Seminole Tribe are ongoing, however no deal has been labored out.
“These payments take that wanted step with out impacting ongoing negotiations with the Seminole Tribe,” Simpson mentioned.
Although talked about in Florida, no sports activities wagering laws has been profitable due to issues with the Seminole Compact and Modification 3, which says playing growth ought to be determined by voters and the Seminole Tribe. Most sports activities wagering laws goals to permit sports activities betting along with figuring out a cope with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
However one invoice languishing within the Home makes an attempt to sidestep the difficulty.
The invoice (HB 1317), sponsored by Lighthouse Level Rep. Chip LaMarca, creates a brand new statute that may enable sports activities wagering.
The invoice hinges on the authorized definition of playing, which is outlined as a recreation of “probability”.
LaMarca mentioned his invoice lays out the case that sports activities are a recreation of talent moderately than probability and subsequently shouldn’t be ruled by playing legal guidelines.
“The distinctive factor about this explicit invoice is, nobody has run a invoice that basically pulls the difficulty exterior of both of these points. It wouldn’t be affected by Modification 3. It could possibly be in or out of the (Seminole) Compact for the excellent bundle, but it surely additionally stands by itself,” LaMarca mentioned in March.
The invoice has not been heard in any of its 4 assigned committees, and doesn’t have a Senate companion invoice.
There may be not but Home companion laws for the Simpson-backed laws.
A U.S. Supreme Court docket ruling in 2018 opened sports activities wagering to states and 26 have handed laws to make the most of tax revenues from the bets.
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