Expand Slot Machines, Black Jack in Florida

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne has inserted himself into an ongoing negotiation between the state of Florida and the Indian tribe, agency officials said at a Washington, D.C., meeting with Seminole leaders and Crist's representatives, noted attorney Barry Richard.

If Kempthorne reckons an agreement won't come to fruition, "he'll do what he's required to do by law," said Richard.

Under U.S. law, tribes are entitled to offer whatever games states sanction elsewhere. That means the Seminoles could offer Las Vegas-style slot machines at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino near Tampa. Without a state agreement, Florida wouldn't get a share of the tribe's revenues.

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Crist and the tribe are believed to be on the verge of a compact that would let the Seminoles to offer not only upgraded slots to replace video bingo machines, but also the state's first legal casino games of Blackjack and Baccarat. The deal would give the state a minimum of $100-million in annual revenue.

"If the compact somehow is not submitted to us, we'd have to make a decision" on allowing expanded gaming, George Skibine, director of Indian Gaming Affairs for the department, said.

He added the state and the tribe expect to complete a compact within two weeks, and officials are discussing a letter from House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-Miami, telling Crist that Republican leaders didn't support expanding gambling in Florida by giving card games to the Indian tribe.

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