Vegas/AC/Miami?

Forget Vegas and AC, Miami is going to be the Mecca of gambling in the future?

Not if the Seminoles can help it.

PS, the WSJ has a better article if you have a n online subscription or get the paper. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204517204577046562303406018.html?KEYWORDS=miami

We had had a few threats discussing the potential for "real" casinos in Florida and particularly in Miami. It seems there has to first be changes in the law and a variety of determinations for locations.

The proposed mega casino in Miami is really for a large hotel, office, convention center, marina, etc. with casino footage being no more than ten percent.

One site in SouthWest Florida has been advancing as a favorite for a "real" casino: close to the freeway, close to an existing interchange, lots of turn lanes. Plenty of road straightening projects have been going on in the immediate area for two years so as to make this site look favorable for high traffic but low disruption due to traffic jams and parking problems, truck traffic, etc. Even with years of road projects, it should be remembered that craps and roulette are still illegal in Florida as are casinos that are not associated with federally recognized Indian tribes.

As to "markets"... It seems all over there are Internet Cafes that rent Internet Time to customers that access gambling sites and receive merchandise prizes. Of dubious legality these slot machine look-a-likes seem to be a magnet for retirees with social security checks.

Quote: odiousgambit

Not if the Seminoles can help it.

Neither the Las Vegas Journal article you linked, or the Florida Sun Sentinel linked with that article, mentions the Seminoles at all.


I'm not a subscriber, but the free article preview from the WSJ includes this comment:

Quote: Wall Street Journal

Florida state law largely limits casino gambling to resorts operated by Indian tribes and slot machines at horse- and dog-racing tracks.

To me, that sounds like a "by the way" type of comment. It does NOT imply that the Seminoles have any legal ground to oppose it.

The Seminoles are major stakeholders... they built casinos but have no zone of non-competition around them and no time-limited protections against competition. The Seminoles of course maintain that it is their bankers that want exclusivity so that the casino can be assured of paying off long term debt. State lawmakers view gambling as "tax revenue with fake gift wrapping paper".

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Neither the Las Vegas Journal article you linked, or the Florida Sun Sentinel linked with that article, mentions the Seminoles at all.

I saw the comment in an article that otherwise wasn't very good. Evidently the Seminoles are lobbying against this, which is to be expected, no?

Hmmm....

Yeah, lobbying can be effective. But I think that would be their only method to fight it. It's not like they can go to the courts for an injunction.

Quote: odiousgambit

I saw the comment in an article that otherwise wasn't very good. Evidently the Seminoles are lobbying against this, which is to be expected, no?

The overwhelming success of Singapore meant it was inevitable that another major city/state would try to emulate their success. Frankly, I assumed that it would be Los Angeles or San Francisco. While Miami is certainly an international city, it doesn't get a lot of Asian visitors.

While some of the heavy hitters support the idea, including Genting and Sands, I would be surprised if the final project ends up being a lot less grand than the Singapore complex. I envision more of mega slot parlor.

Quote: pacomartin

I envision more of mega slot parlor.

Considering the demographics, both domestic and external, that's a darn likely bet.

Quote: pacomartin

I envision more of mega slot parlor.

I think most Directors of the Slot Department at a casino would argue that a casino is nothing more than a slot parlor "with all the trimmings". Even those who only play slot machines probably like to see the Table Games Pits as part of the "casino ambiance" just as those who partake of Table Games consider the sights and sounds of the slot machines as part of the "casino ambiance".

Even a man who considers himself a confirmed Advantage Player who would never go near a slot machine will admit to occasional use of slot machines in social circumstances imposed on them by a spouse or group of friends or by some unforeseen necessity to kill time at an appointed meeting place.

Perhaps at some future time a Dotty-like battle will escalate over definitions of Casino and Mega Casino.

Those who envision a Mega Casino for Miami might well be advised to simply visit the Aria and to bring some sand and mosquitoes with them. It might indeed turn out that the "Mega Casino" project will be upscale restaurants on shortened hours, upscale hotel rooms at ultra-steep discounts and a casino with a sign "Now Hiring, 1,000 Slot Attendants and 3 blackjack dealers".

The trouble is that I see too much of a gambling fever for it to ever be really nothing but a Slot Parlor on Steroids playing Latino Music. Jacking up the Poker limits did wonders, so did even the modest numbers of Blackjack and MiniBacc tables. Sure there are lots of slot machines in the Indian Casinos and lots of bus programs bringing in confirmed slot players but there is just too much interest in non-slot activities. Oh, they might change the requirements for a casino, but any actual casino will be more than just a slot parlor.

All the lobbyists and all that road construction is not being bankrolled by businessmen who envision solely slots.

The Seminoles have a compact with the state of Florida, which among other things, gives them a modicum of exclusivity with regard to table games. The penalty, if the state licenses non-tribal facilities (other tribes can operate table games without penalty), is that the seminoles can stop giving Florida so much money. I'm sure the state can protect itself by mandating extremely high taxes on these casinos, as they currently do with the racinos.

Now Broward County, where I live, has 3 seminole casinos with card-based table games (more and more 6-5). On a friday or saturday night, there is not an empty slot machine or table seat in the house.

There are also three pari-mutuel racinos with slots only (a heavy emphasis on virtual tablemaster machines, and at least one has blackjack with a real dealer, but video displays and electronic bets). Dania Jai-Alai, which is languishing, is still owned by Boyd, and is allowed to develop a casino, but has not yet.

Quote: dlevinelaw

Now Broward County, where I live, has 3 seminole casinos with card-based table games (more and more 6-5). On a friday or saturday night, there is not an empty slot machine or table seat in the house.

Which is why I think the Mega Casino will never be just a Mega Slots Parlor. The demand for table games really is there and will only grow once dice and roulette are added. And oddly enough Sic Bo may grab a foothold too since it was common in the Havana casinos, back in the days.