Bush, Seminoles to start negotiations over slot machines

Jackie Hallifax

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 | 9:56 a.m.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Gov. Jeb Bush and the Seminoles have agreed to begin negotiating over slot machines at the tribe's six gambling facilities, the two sides said Tuesday.

Under federal law, tribes are entitled to have the same kind of gambling on their reservations as is allowed elsewhere in a state.

And Floridians last year opened the door to slot machines when 50.8 percent of voters agreed to change the state constitution to allow slot machines at South Florida tracks and jai-alai frontons, if approved by local voters.

"In November 2004, Florida's voters signaled a change in the state's policy toward gambling," Bush said in a statement issued by his office.

Jim Shore, attorney for the Seminoles, will lead the tribe's delegation in the talks. Bush will be represented by his staff attorneys.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida operates casinos in Coconut Creek, Hollywood, Fort Pierce, Brighton, Immokalee and Tampa but those facilities are limited to poker and bingo, including electronic gambling machines that look like slot machines but are based on bingo.

The Miccosukee Tribe, which runs a casino west of Miami, has also requested negotiations but those talks are not yet organized, said Bush spokesman Russell Schweiss.

No first meeting between the Seminoles and the state has been scheduled, according to Schweiss and Shore. In his statement, Bush said he instructed his staff to begin the negotiations immediately.

Under federal law, states have 180 days to negotiate with tribes seeking gambling agreements. Shore said he believed the clock started running in March, when the tribe formally requested negotiations.

Shore said his level of optimism about the negotiations would be based on what happens at the first meeting.

Schweiss said the state would work in good-faith to reach an agreement but that there was no guarantee one would be reached.

Meanwhile, the question of slot machines at South Florida pari-mutuels is unclear.

In early March, voters in Broward County approved slots at its jail-alai fronton and three tracks and voters in Miami-Dade County rejected the slots.

But state lawmakers failed to pass a bill regulating and taxing slot proceeds, which the November ballot measure promised would be distributed to schools statewide.