"The deck is stacked against Florida in its efforts to get a fair deal from Seminole Indian casinos.

Yet that's no reason for the Legislature to fold and blindly accept a proposed pact with the tribe.

Federal law allows the Seminole tribe to operate any games authorized elsewhere by the state.

Unfortunately, Florida voters agreed to allow pari-mutuels in Broward and Miami-Dade counties to add Vegas-style slot machines -- so-called Class III gaming -- to their gambling operations.

As a result, the Seminoles have an entitlement, according to the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, to install slots and offer "banked" card games on tribal land in Florida. Federal acts also restrict the state's ability to enforce laws on tribal lands."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Seminole pact is a gamble (The Sarasota Herald Tribune 9/6)

Another Opinion:
Kingsley Guy: Casino gambling: As history shows, Floridians want it (The Orlando Sun-Sentinel 9/6)

Also Today:
Gaming deal's approval not set in stone (The Tampa Tribune 9/6)
Gambling deal may face competition for attention during special session (The South Florida Sun-Sentinel 9/4)