Gambling Debate Set to Begin in South Florida

The debates over new destination gambling in Miami are beginning as Florida weighs up its options in the face of new offers from casino companies. The latest in gambling news from Florida suggests that the chances of a new billion dollar casino in the Miami area are diminishing.

Malaysia based Genting Group first came to Florida with its plans for a $3 billion resort casino in Miami back in May 2011, but the company has gone quiet in recent times, suggesting a change of tact after being pretty outspoken early on. With American gambling laws pretty strict on the number of licenses available per area, Genting would have to compete with Seminole Tribe, who currently have a monopoly on banked card games – card games bankrolled by the gaming operator.

Genting has bought bayside property in Miami, including the former home of the Miami Herald and the Omni Hotel, but it faces competition from Las Vegas Sands, who are also interested in building a new resort casino to cater to South Florida. The Las Vegas based company has been interested in a South Florida resort casino for even longer than Genting, but they have also gone quiet in recent times, after concerns about tax revenue and job numbers.

These updates are the latest in the line of American gambling changes. With recent changes to legislature, Delaware have launched the first online casino in America, while Nevada, New Jersey and California are due to follow suit. These new online casinos are only open to members from their own states, but they do put pressure on brick and mortar casinos in other states.

As such, Genting was aiming to bring in clients from Asia on special subsidized flights, but with Florida seemingly unwilling to risk its relationship with the Seminole Tribe – who provide $250 million a year to the state coffers – those plans could end up being shelved.