Welcome to

Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill today allowing him to negotiate a gambling compact with the Seminole Indian Tribe.

The legislation establishes parameters for the negotiations. Under the new rules, the state can only give the tribe to keep blackjack at its Broward and Hillsborough County casinos. The rules also keep the state from offering the tribe exclusive rights to new card games. The Tribe’s attorney Barry Richard said the rules will make it harder to reach an agreement.

“The Tribe is prepared to work with the governor and the legislature in an effort to accommodate some of the things that the legislature was looking for, maybe most of them. There are provisions in the bill that we believe need to be revisited because they do create some problems,” said Richard.

The federal government will have to approve any deal between the tribe and the state. Withholding exclusive rights to card games could be a deal breaker for the federal government.