TAMPA - The Seminole Tribe of Florida plans to push Gov. Jeb Bush for enhanced Las Vegas-style slot
machines at its Tampa casino and five others in the state and may press for blackjack, roulette and other
casino games.
The tribe's plan comes a day after Broward County voters approved a referendum that would allow horse
tracks, dog tracks and jai-alai gaming facilities to install slot machines. The referendum was defeated in
Miami-Dade County.
The Seminoles already have bingo-style slot machines in their casinos, including the Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino in Tampa. However, with voters' approval in Broward, the Seminoles want to apply a me-too
approach to get more advanced machines. Federal law allows American Indians to negotiate with state
officials to get the same type of gaming offered in other parts of the state.
``At the minimum, the results of Tuesday's referendum should allow us to offer the Las Vegas-style gaming
machines,'' said Jim Shore, general counsel for the Seminole Tribe. But a broad view of the federal law
``would also allow us to offer blackjack, roulette and other table games.''
Paul Sego, executive director of No Casinos, the group that tried to stop the slots referendum from passing,
said allowing full casinos in Tampa could cause other noncasino entertainment businesses to fail.
``A dollar spent at local casinos would mean less money spent in local businesses,'' he said. ``It would be
detrimental to the entire Bay area.''
It is the tribe's broad interpretation of the law that Shore said tribal leaders plan to push with the state. They
want to ask Bush in the next few days to begin negotiations for a formal compact. The tribe cannot offer the
expanded gambling without the compact.
Bush, who is opposed to gambling and campaigned against the South Florida referendums, said Tuesday that
he will not stand in the way of implementing the slot machines in Broward County. He said he also will
negotiate in good faith with tribal leaders, including those of the Miccosukee Tribe, which runs a gaming
facility in the Miami area.
``The Miccosukee Tribe has asked to begin negotiations, and we have done so in a very preliminary way,''
Bush said. ``We'll follow the law on that as well.''
Bush wasn't specific about the type of gaming the state would allow. The Seminole and Miccosukee casinos
offer class II slot machines, which look like slot machines but are actually electronic bingo machines. They
cannot drop coins and lack some of the bells and whistles of the class III slot machines found in Las Vegas
and Atlantic City, N.J. The Seminole and Miccosukee casinos also offer low-stakes poker.
The Seminoles tried to negotiate a compact with the state in the early 1990s, offering a cut of revenue to the
state in exchange for expanded gambling. Then-Gov. Lawton Chiles refused, and Bush's opposition to gaming
has so far prevented negotiations.
States such as Connecticut and California get up to 25 percent of Indian gaming revenue in exchange for
allowing full- style casino games.
Tuesday's referendum means negotiations with the Seminoles likely will occur.
``The referendum strengthens the tribes' position that the state needs to negotiate a compact,'' said Shawn
Pensoneau, a spokesman for the National Indian Gaming Commission. However, Pensoneau said that doesn't
mean there is a blanket entitlement for the Seminole Tribe.
Shore, of the Seminole Tribe, said some courts in the western United States have ruled that allowing
enhanced slot machines paves the way for other casino games. But he acknowledged there also have been
legal opinions that have gone the other way.
Reporter Randy Diamond can be reached at (813) 259-8144.