The
Seminole Tribe has continued to share gaming revenues with Florida even though the state broke its promise to the tribe.
The tribe pays
$19.5 million a month to the state, plus an additional "true-up" payment at the end of every fiscal year, Florida Politics reported. The total comes to around $300 million a year.
The tribe has kept paying even though a federal judge ruled that the
state violated its Class III gaming compact. The state allowed non-Indian facilities to offer card games that had been promised exclusively to the tribe.
A
settlement reached in 2017 confirmed that the tribe can continue offering blackjack and other card games through 2030. In exchange, the state promised to enforce the exclusivity provision in order to receive additional payments from the tribe.
But the so-called “forbearance period” ended on March 31, 2018, Florida Politics reported. The tribe is going to “re-evaluate” whether it will continue to make payments to the state, an attorney told the news outlet.
The tribe and the state entered into the compact in 2010. Figures
posted by Florida Politics show that the tribe has shared nearly $1.8 billion with the state so far.
The tribe operates six gaming facilities in southern Florida.
Read More on the Story
Mo’ money: Seminoles keep ponying up millions from blackjack
(Florida Politics February 20, 2019)
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