Column: Another year and another debate on gaming in Florida

Make no mistake; we already have considerable gambling in Florida.

We have seasonal betting on horse racing, greyhound dog racing and Jai Alai. We have bingo in our Elks Lodges, Catholic churches and assisted living facilities. We have the Florida Lottery, which went from a weekly drawing in 1998 to numerous drawings and the addition of a multi-state lottery, Powerball.

In 2004, Miami-Dade and Broward county voters approved slot machines in existing pari-mutuel facilities. Under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Indian tribes are permitted to have any form of gambling that is legal in their state.

The Seminole Tribe entered into a compact with the state of Florida. In return for a five-year contract that gives them exclusive rights to blackjack, baccarat and other table games, the Tribe pays the state roughly $233 million a year from its $2 billion-a-year enterprise, which includes several Hard Rock casinos.

The Miccosukee Tribe seems to be content with slots, poker and bingo. The pari-mutuels, on the other hand, object to paying a 35 percent tax and to being limited to just slots and poker.

Gambling magnates such as the Malaysian gaming giant, the Genting Group, have focused their sights on Florida to develop giant resort casinos. They contend these resorts would attract large conventions and greatly increase business tourism.