Special session for slots

Allan Solomon, an executive with Isle of Capri, the parent company of Pompano Park, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that even though the Florida legislature is about to enter a special session to deal with slots, he's not sure about the outcome.



"I'm not sure I can make the best wager on how all this gets done," says Solomon, executive vice president and general counsel of the Isle of Capri Casinos, which operates the Pompano Park.



Thirteen months after Florida voters authorized slot machines for South Florida, legislators have yet to come up with a plan for regulating and taxing slots at Broward County pari-mutuel facilities-- Pompano Park, Hollywood Greyhound Track, Dania Jai-Alai and Gulfstream Park.



Legislators begin a five-day special session called by Gov. Jeb Bush on Monday. Slots is just one of the issues. Besides the gambling issues, legislators are also meeting to enact changes to Medicaid, revamp ethics rules and tweak a new law dealing with sexual offenders. More financial assistance for hurricane victims is also expected to be discussed.



Last Friday leaders of the Florida House released a 44-page bill that would allow for Las Vegas-style, Class III slots. While that decision alone moves the House closer to the positions of the Senate, there are other details that are expected to be debated.



The House bill limits the number of machines to no more than 1,000 per venue; the Senate has previously imposed no limits. The House is calling for a 55 percent flat tax on slot machines while the Senate has been looking at a lower tax rate and a possible sliding scale on taxes. A sliding rate, gaming industry executives say, would allow the gaming companies to keep more of the proceeds during the first few years of operation and pay higher taxes later as their slot businesses grow.



As for hours, the House bill says the machines can be played up to 16 hours a day, year-round, and that only people over 21 can play. It also guarantees that no less than 85 percent of the money bet at each venue will go toward players' winnings.



Solomon said he hopes his company "could be up in three or four months with some sort of interim facility" at Pompano Park if the special session irons out the details for implementing slots at the tracks.



"Our business alone is prepared to spend $165 million to develop an addition to our existing facility that will have areas for slot machines, as well as other entertainment-type activities like restaurants, nightclubs and meeting rooms," Solomon told the Sun-Sentinel, referring to upgrades at Pompano Park. "In addition to that, we have 240 acres at Pompano that we intend to develop for mixed use, whether it's housing or entertainment or retail shops."



Dan Adkins, who runs the Hollywood Greyhound Track for the same ownership group that owns Hazel Park Harness Track, had this to say: "Just take a look at the (Seminole) Hard Rock hotels and casinos, and you're going to see that four times over," said Adkins, referring to the more than year-old, $279 million complex in western Broward County.

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