Seminoles to Blame for Slot Machine Stalls

According to Governor Jeb Bush’s office, the Seminole Tribe of Florida is responsible for the breakdown in talks between the two factions to bring in slot machines. Bush’s office is claiming that the Seminoles are pushing for Class III Las Vegas style slot machines, and they are refusing to negotiate favorable terms with the state so that they can get a better deal with the federal government.

The state says that the tribe wants to bring in slot machines to the “environmentally sensitive” Big Cypress Reservation, and they don’t want a limit placed on the number of slot machines that they are allowed to bring in. The tribe disagrees, and says that they have been more than willing to work with the state. Seminole spokesman Gary Bitner says that they are willing to negotiate on the slot machine compact “with this governor, with the next governor, at any time.”

The tribe says they think that “It’s [their] position that there were a combination of reasons [slot machine] negotiations broke down” and that “the tribe has been reasonable and will continue to be reasonable in negotiations” according to Bitner.

However, Bush’s office is maintaining that it is the tribe who is holding up the negotiations. Either way, at some point the Department of the Interior is going to step in and give the tribe their slot machines, so Florida needs to figure something out. If the government steps in, Florida will not see a dime of the slot machine revenue.
 

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