A proposal to expand gambling to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties is pending in the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee. One state Senate committee has passed it, with another committee scheduled to vote this legislative session, which ends March 9. A House version of the measure stalled in committee Feb. 3.
All sides are girding for a long fight. Already, intense jockeying has begun for coveted casino licenses and prime locations.
Lawmakers in favor of additional gambling say it could generate new tax revenue as Florida deals with a $1.5 billion budget shortfall, declining real estate tax revenue, and high unemployment.
Genting Corp. of Malaysia is among a handful of gambling giants along with Las Vegas Sands Corp. that is eyeing Florida, and it proposes to build a $3.8 billion casino resort that some say could easily fit six Bellagios. Last year, Genting spent nearly $500 million for the land where the Miami Herald sits, as well as three other parcels totaling 30 acres, to build Resorts World Miami, even though the gambling bill has yet to pass.
"Our decision to invest ... was fueled by the city's strong tourism industry, attractive climate, diverse business base, [and] vibrant cultural landscape," said Christian Goode, Genting's chief financial officer in the United States. "Miami's international appeal ... will draw a new segment of the global market."
Meanwhile, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which counts Walt Disney Co. as one of its biggest and most powerful members, is working just as hard to defeat the bill, to preserve what it calls "the Florida brand" as a world-class, family-friendly vacation destination.
