State Considering Adding Slot Machines to Tracks

Florida is looking at possibly having more slot machines in their state. A Senate Finance and Taxation Committee has approved a bill that would allow dog tracks, horse tracks, and Jai Alai establishments to have slot machines. These video slot machines would be just like the ones that the tribes are allowed to operate across the state now.

Senator Dennis Jones, the sponsor of the bill, says that it is not fair to allow the tribes to offer slot machines and not these other businesses. Jones says that they have to be able to compete, and by allowing them to bring in the slot machines they will stand a fighting chance. He says that in addition to the tribes, there is also added competition from Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, both of which have legalized slot machines.

They say that this gives these existing businesses the chance to “expand their opportunities” and to be successful. The measure passed 5-1, but still has a long way to go before it is approved. A House version must still be introduced and they are already getting a lot of opposition from various groups.

Groups like the Florida Sheriff’s Association are against the slot machines as they say that the expansion of gambling is not a good idea for the state. They claim that this is just one more way of bringing trouble into the state.

If approved, the bill would allow existing pari-mutuel facilities to operate up to 2,000 slot machines. This is a number that many groups just cannot live with.


 

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