Seminole Tribe faces deadline to sign compact

Tuesday, June 16, 2009  

The Seminole Tribe faces an August 31 deadline to sign a Class III gaming compact with the state of Florida.

Gov. Charlie Crist (R) signed into law a bill that proposes the terms of the compact. The tribe would give up some of its Class III games but would still be required to share revenues with the state. The deal doesn't guarantee exclusivity either.

Tribal leaders have raised concerns about the deal. If they can't reach a final agreement by August, they are prepared to go to the Interior Department, attorney Barry Richard said.

"If we cannot successfully achieve a compact, then we will seek federal authorization directly to engage in (Class III) gaming," Richard told The Ocala News-Press.

The tribe was in the final stages of the federal process when Crist negotiated a deal in 2007 that was later invalidate by the Florida Supreme Court

Get the Story:
If gaming deal fails, Seminole tribe to take it to feds (The Ocala News-Press 6/16)
Gov. Charlie Crist praises Hialeah Park revival plans (The Miami Herald 6/16)