More slots in Florida?

According to reports in South Florida, as Broward and Miami-Dade counties prepare to vote on adding slot machines at local pari-mutuel tracks, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians has written Gov. Jeb Bush a letter, arguing that putting the slots referendum on the ballot gives them the green light for slots.



In a letter to Gov. Bush, the tribe argues that passage of Amendment 4 by voters last Nov. 2 radically changed state policy on gaming, and the Indians wish to begin negotiations that would allow them to install slot machines no matter what the outcome of the local referendums scheduled for March 8.



"State public policy now supports slot machines ... no matter what the counties choose to do as a matter of local choice," said a spokesman for the tribe, which operates the Miccosukee Resort & Gaming in Miami.



The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which operates six casinos, including three in Broward County, where Pompano Park is located, is waiting to see how the results of the March 8 referendums.



The Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported that the Seminole Tribe spent $5.6 million financing a campaign to kill Amendment 4, which would allow local voters to vote on slot machines at the tracks.



Bernie Goldstein, chairman of Isle of Capri Casinos, which owns Pompano Park, said he hopes to install 3,000 slot machines and have them operating by December. The company assembled a development team to begin working on the project, expected to eventually include restaurants, hotels and shops, soon after voters approved Amendment 4.



"We'll put in what the market will bear ... if they let us operate and not tie our hands with restrictions," he said. "If there are too many restrictions, we won't be able to do it."

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