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Opinion
Editorial: Gambling a bad way to fund government


"In 2006 the industry succeeded in getting a referendum passed in Broward County allowing Vegas-style slot machines at existing race tracks and jai alai frontons there - a total of four facilities. Because federal law allows American Indian tribes to offer the same types of gambling as any offered elsewhere in the state, the American Indians say they should be able to offer the same slot action. And their lawyers say that, since these are Las Vegas-type slots, by extension they should also be able to offer all the other forms of gambling available in Vegas, such as blackjack and roulette. For that concession plus an exclusive right to all such Vegas-type gaming in Florida, they're willing to share the revenue.

If an agreement isn't reached by Sept. 11, there is the prospect that the U.S. Department of the Interior, under whose jurisdiction American Indian affairs fall, will approve the gambling expansion without the state getting any share of the revenues.

It's not hard to see why Crist is talking to the Seminoles' lawyers. Facing steep cuts in education because of the budget shortfall, it is tempting to grab this new revenue stream and dedicate it to public schools. Crist is nothing if not pragmatic. Recall that in 2006 he said in an interview with the Baptist Witness, "There are not many things I dislike as much as gambling, but there is one, and that's increased taxes. And I'm not willing to do that."

But Crist should know that gambling is a lousy way to pay for state government. Besides the moral issue, which is significant to Baptists and most conservative Floridians, gambling brings hidden costs that wind up taxing the state more than it generates. First, it isn't really "new" revenue; it's merely shifting dollars that residents and tourists would have spent elsewhere into casino operators' pockets."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Crist's moral gamble (The Brandenton Herald 9/2)
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