The lobby at Dania Jai-Alai is eerily quiet at lunchtime on a typical weekday.
A few people -- vacationers, retirees and snowbirds -- trickle into the dimly lit room, many heading straight to an ATM machine about 50 feet from the door.
They place bets in the lobby, then sit at one of the hundreds of almost empty tables and desks to look at a bank of televisions broadcasting results from simulcast races.
If voters approve a slot machine referendum on Tuesday, patrons here and at other pari-mutuel sites across South Florida -- including the Hollywood Greyhound Track and Gulfstream Park -- will likely find a lot of company. Many local officials and residents are looking to slots to inject new life into frontons and racetracks, boosting the local tax base, providing money for education and bringing tourists to the area.
In Florida, attendance at the pari-mutuels has dropped in the past 10 years from 11.4 million to 2.7 million annually, said Steve Snyder, president of Dania Jai-Alai. He says their business has taken a hit from gambling cruise ships and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which opened in May.
The Hard Rock, which brings in thousands of daily visitors, offers a 500-room hotel and a large retail and restaurant area. The daily gambling cruises take off from ports up and down the coastline.
"The Seminoles can afford us to take away a little of their business. And people would actually be getting something out of the money being spent," said Elaine Sullivan, who has lived in Dania for five years.
Some residents fear expansion at the frontons or racetracks could increase crime and traffic.
"It's great if it's in someone else's neighborhood, not mine," said Patty Hart, who has lived in Dania Beach for more than 50 years. "I don't have a problem with the slots, but I do have a problem with the development. When jai-alai was popular, it was difficult to get to this neighborhood."
Years ago, crowds of up to 10,000 a day attended events at Dania Jai-Alai, Gulfstream and the Hollywood Greyhound Track.
"We used to have so many people in the '80s. People were shoulder to shoulder. Big names came here," said Daniel Adkins, executive vice president with Hartman and Tyner, Inc., which owns the greyhound track. "This was a showplace. Oh boy, do I miss it."
If voters approve slots at seven existing pari-mutuel sites in Broward and Miami-Dade, legislators have many decisions to make. They have to determine the number and kinds of machines allowed, the hours and days of operation and the details of regulation -- including how much they'll be taxed and whether there should be guaranteed payouts.
The Legislature must also decide how much money would go to public schools, and how the funds would be doled out.
Hollywood Greyhound Track and Gulfstream Park already are planning multimillion dollar expansions that would include hotels, restaurants, entertainment centers and gambling rooms.
In the next few weeks, the track will change its name to Hallandale Beach Greyhound Track because that's where track is actually located, Adkins said. For years, it had taken the name Hollywood to tie it to one of the county's largest cities.
In Dania Beach, jai-alai officials are also talking expansion, but no formal plans have been made.
The fronton's revival could help city officials with the planned redevelopment of downtown, where they hope to attract restaurants and retail.
"Dania Jai-Alai is the place that put us on the map. I want to be put back on that map," said Dania Mayor C.K. "Mac" McElyea.
Opponents have said they don't want to create a "sin city," Las Vegas-style atmosphere in South Florida. Officials who oppose the referendum include Gov. Bush and Hollywood Mayor Mara Giulianti.
"I'm not here to regulate people's behavior," said Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper. "I'm looking at this as a business. Our economy base is this pari-mutuel business."
For those who say slots would attract more crime, Tom Magill, Hallandale Beach's police chief, citing crime studies taken in cities where gambling is legal, said, "Crime is not going to go through the roof."
Lori Sykes can be reached at lsykes@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7907.