Racetracks want same deal as Seminole Tribe

Wednesday, October 10, 2007  

After seeing disappointing returns, racetracks in south Florida now want to be treated the same as the Seminole Tribe.

The tracks asked for voters to approve slot machines in November 2004. They did not include tribes in their campaign.

But now that the Seminole Tribe is nearing an agreement for a Class III compact, the tracks are tired of paying a 60 percent tax rate to the state. "All we're asking for is a level playing field," one executive told The St. Petersburg Times.

As a sovereign entity, the tribe cannot be taxed. But the tribe is offering to share an estimated $200 million a year in exchange for slot machines, and possibly other Class III games.

Get the Story:
Gaming players wrestle over till (The St. Petersburg Times 10/10)
Analyst: Taxes hurting 'racinos' (The Miami Herald 10/10)