Compacts | Litigation

Seminole Tribe keeps blackjack games as key deadline passes

Friday, October 30, 2015

A view of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Tampa, Florida. Photo from Facebook

It's business as usual for the Seminole Tribe as a key deadline to remove blackjack games came and went without incident.

Key provisions of a 2010 compact expired at the end of July. The agreement provided for a 90-day grace period that ended on Thursday but the tribe has said it will offer blackjack and other banked card games pending resolution of negotiations for a new deal or, in the alternative, resolution of a lawsuit against the state.

"The state’s authorization of banking or banked card games by persons other than the tribe as described above, and the failure of the state to recognize the tribe’s consequent right to continue to operate banking or banked card games, constitutes a breach of the compact," the complaint, which was filed in federal court on Monday, reads.

Since 2010, the tribe has shared more than $1 billion in revenues with the state. The complaint claims the state has asked for even more money as part of negotiations for a new agreement.

Get the Story:
Seminole Tribe refuses to take down blackjack tables (FloridaPolitics.Com 10/29)
Governor, Seminole tribe still negotiating deal (Bay News 9 10/29)
Seminole Tribe of Florida lobbies up with hire of Floridian Partners (Saint Peters Blog 10/30)

An Opinion:
Michael Mayo: Seminoles won't pull plug on blackjack, table games (The South Florida Sun-Sentinel 10/30)