Looks like it easily passed in Broward.

It's losing by a close margin in Miami-Dade.

at least it will provide an interesting case study

I hope it doesn't pass, this really sucks and in the end will screw us over...

What's going on with slot machines? Are you talking about at the Seminole reservation, or county wide?

I don't see how slot machines are a bad thing. Florida gets no revenue from indian gaming or the casino cruises to nowhere.

At least this taxes them and gets Florida some badly needed revenue for education.

It will also create a jobs and construction boom as the casinos get built.

Yeah why should Broward and Dade foot the bill if the money is going to be used all around the state? Meanwhile Miami-Dade and Broward have to pay for increased crime and the other things that come with these sort of things. Its not right, Gambling money is not the answer, I too am against the Indian Gambling stuff...The Miccosukee Indians rake in a million dollars a day...

Cruises to nowhere are a different beast, they at least operate outside of the US...There is nothing illegal with that...

I was personally opposed to this because the money brought in in two counties would go to the entire state. If this was a statewide legalization of slot machines and all the money would go to state education... it would be fair. And however much I desperately want to increase education fundings as much as possible (my mom's a teacher for Dade county, I know how bad it is)... this just isnt fair, because the two couties would end up using more money in the extra costs that would be associated with the legalization of gambling then they would get back towards education once it has been divided 50 something times (or however many counties there are). Glad it didnt pass in dade, and figures it would pass in Broward, fukin retard county

Broward and other cities negotiated special funding agreements with the paramutuals to get the measure on the ballot. They will receive a percentage of the slot revenues to cover increased infrastructure costs.

But Broward will also benefit in increased property and sales taxes. The four paramutuals plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars upgrading their facilities and adding retail, hotels, condos...

What this really does is fucks Dade County. Flagler Dog Track, Miami Jai-Lai, and Calder Race Track will not be competitive with the paramutuals operations in Broward that have slots.

Great column in the Sun-Sentinel about slots. My thoughts exactly.

Michael Mayo

Broward's bet right on track
Published March 10, 2005

Go ahead, make all the jokes you want about Broward's newfound reputation. The raucous Spring Break days of Fort Liquordale are gone. Now we'll be known as Sin County. Or Spin County.

Or the home of receding hairlines and progressive jackpots.

For sure, in the wake of Tuesday's split slots decision in South Florida, we can have fun with some new marketing slogans. Something like "Broward: Slots of Fun." Or "I-95 isn't the only place to take a risky spin." Or, "The state took all our citrus but we've got plenty of cherries!"

Now that we're the undisputed gambling capital of Florida, we'll just have to take whatever shots come our way.

It still beats the alternative.

Because if we took the silly Miami-Dade route and shot down slot machines at pari-mutuel facilities, we'd still be the undisputed gambling capital of Florida. We'd just remain an untaxed, unregulated one.

The Seminole Hard Rock Casino near Hollywood is already here. The Seminole Hollywood Casino still operates a few blocks away. The Seminole Coconut Creek Casino is here. The cruise ships to nowhere are here.

Now we're going to allow slot machines at Gulfstream Park and Hollywood Greyhound Track in Hallandale Beach, Dania Jai-Alai in Dania Beach and Pompano Harness Track in Pompano Beach.

Can South Florida, which has 6 million residents and countless more tourists, handle another 10,000 slot machines without the ruinous consequences forecast by opponents?

Given what we've already seen the answer seems clear, but we'll soon find out.

Broward voters did the right thing, the smart thing and the logical thing in giving gamblers who are already gambling a taxed, regulated alternative. The tribes and ships will finally get some competition, and good old market-driven capitalism will rule.

Gamblers will have a choice. And nobody will force non-gamblers to participate or subsidize the enterprise. In fact, non-gamblers around the county and state will benefit from the proceeds. That's good public policy.

Contrast that to the multi-pronged insanity that's taking place in Miami-Dade. While voters were allowing the Miccosukee tribe to keep its untaxed monopoly on land-based slots, local politicians who opposed the gambling measure were on a plane for Tallahassee.

On Wednesday, they lobbied for a $60 million state tax break to help build a baseball stadium for millionaires. They have already pledged hundreds of millions in city and county funds to build this stadium.

The deal is structured so that the Marlins pay virtually nothing up front and reap nearly all the rewards from the revenue.

Somehow, the politicians can do this without putting the deal up for a public vote. Meanwhile, they go around saying how evil gambling is, how much it will harm the community and how it will cannibalize local businesses.

I'm still trying to get my feeble brain around this. It seems every few years, local politicians spend hundreds of millions in public money to build sports palaces for wealthy people, and they justify it by saying it will spur economic growth.

But an industry that will spend hundreds of millions privately on development is bad.

Pro sports venues, which take money from willing consumers in enormous chunks every night, are good for the community.

But gambling venues, which do the same, are bad.

Spending $100 for an evening's entertainment on a game ticket, parking, a hot dog and two beers is good.

Spending $100 for an evening's entertainment on slot machines, when you might be given free food, drinks and parking and could end up with more in your pocket than when you started, is bad.

Using everyone's money to build something that many people can't afford and won't ever attend is good.

But allowing consenting adults to gamble and taxing the house's profits for everyone's benefit is bad.

Stand proud Broward voters. Whatever jokes come our way, we know who the real dunces are.

It should be interesting to see the "spillover" effect that could take place with Gulfstream Park, which is right on the southern edge of the Broward-Dade county line on US 1 (part of Aventura's northern boundary is formed by the edge of the park) How much more traffic will head north to visit the venue? Hmmm...

I think the writer of that article is right about the stadium, but he put his foot in his mouth about the slots IMO.

Here's an interesting look into the Miami-Dade vote, by County Commission district. The districts that voted in favor had a few noticeable trends:

Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4, the only districts with majority "YES" votes, are in the northern part of the county.
Those districts have the greatest number of pari-mutuel facilities within a given radius and likely had the most to gain. Calder lies within District 1. Flagler and Miami Jai-alai lie within of districts 5 and 6, in the central portion of the county, where Gov. Bush campaigned strongly against the issue.
Aventura is part of District 4, and Gulfstream park lies across the county line in Hallandale Beach.

001 - Miami-Dade County Question - Slot Machines at Pari-Mutuel Sites?
Precincts in Race: (Geographic) 744 (Absentee) 5 = 749 Precincts Registered Voters: 1,072,555
Precincts Counted: (Geographic) 744 (Absentee) 5 = 749 Precincts Ballots Cast: 154,554
(Vote for 1) Race Turnout: 14.41 %
CO01 - Miami-Dade Commission District 1 - Precincts: 59 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 89,608
Ballots Cast: 5,897
Yes, allow slot machines. 3,214 54.50 %
No, do not allow slot machines. 2,620 44.43 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 63 1.07 %
Total Ballots Cast: 5,897 ....

CO02 - Miami-Dade Commission District 2 - Precincts: 64 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 78,864
Ballots Cast: 4,878
Yes, allow slot machines. 2,863 58.69 %
No, do not allow slot machines. 1,948 39.93 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 67 1.37 %
Total Ballots Cast: 4,878 ....

CO03 - Miami-Dade Commission District 3 - Precincts: 73 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 76,409
Ballots Cast: 5,125
Yes, allow slot machines. 2,842 55.45 %
No, do not allow slot machines. 2,199 42.91 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 84 1.64 %
Total Ballots Cast: 5,125 ....

CO04 - Miami-Dade Commission District 4 - Precincts: 61 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 86,805
Ballots Cast: 9,615
Yes, allow slot machines. 5,210 54.19 %
No, do not allow slot machines. 4,300 44.72 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 105 1.09 %
Total Ballots Cast: 9,615

CO05 - Miami-Dade Commission District 5 - Precincts: 59 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 69,876
Ballots Cast: 7,365
No, do not allow slot machines. 4,053 55.03 %
Yes, allow slot machines. 3,156 42.85 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 156 2.12 %
Total Ballots Cast: 7,365

CO06 - Miami-Dade Commission District 6 - Precincts: 51 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 74,760
Ballots Cast: 9,934
No, do not allow slot machines. 6,190 62.31 %
Yes, allow slot machines. 3,639 36.63 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 105 1.06 %
Total Ballots Cast: 9,934

CO07 - Miami-Dade Commission District 7 - Precincts: 83 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 99,250
Ballots Cast: 12,722
No, do not allow slot machines. 8,704 68.42 %
Yes, allow slot machines. 3,900 30.66 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 118 0.93 %
Total Ballots Cast: 12,722

CO08 - Miami-Dade Commission District 8 - Precincts: 86 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 97,708
Ballots Cast: 11,490
No, do not allow slot machines. 7,144 62.18 %
Yes, allow slot machines. 4,246 36.95 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 100 0.87 %
Total Ballots Cast: 11,490

(Vote for 1) Race Turnout: 14.41 %
CO09 - Miami-Dade Commission District 9 - Precincts: 52 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 84,666
Ballots Cast: 5,761
No, do not allow slot machines. 3,024 52.49 %
Yes, allow slot machines. 2,703 46.92 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 34 0.59 %
Total Ballots Cast: 5,761

CO10 - Miami-Dade Commission District 10 - Precincts: 48 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 87,424
Ballots Cast: 9,687
No, do not allow slot machines. 6,064 62.60 %
Yes, allow slot machines. 3,549 36.64 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 74 0.76 %
Total Ballots Cast: 9,687

CO11 - Miami-Dade Commission District 11 - Precincts: 34 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 86,928
Ballots Cast: 7,150
No, do not allow slot machines. 4,171 58.34 %
Yes, allow slot machines. 2,909 40.69 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 70 0.98 %
Total Ballots Cast: 7,150

CO12 - Miami-Dade Commission District 12 - Precincts: 36 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 64,659
Ballots Cast: 6,215
No, do not allow slot machines. 3,460 55.67 %
Yes, allow slot machines. 2,694 43.35 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 61 0.98 %
Total Ballots Cast: 6,215

CO13 - Miami-Dade Commission District 13 - Precincts: 43 - Absentees: 0
Registered Voters: 75,598
Ballots Cast: 8,486
No, do not allow slot machines. 4,845 57.09 %
Yes, allow slot machines. 3,572 42.09 %
Undetermined (Over/Under) Votes 69 0.81 %
Total Ballots Cast: 8,486

What this really does is fucks Dade County. Flagler Dog Track, Miami Jai-Lai, and Calder Race Track will not be competitive with the paramutuals operations in Broward that have slots.

Exactly. The slot issue will most definitley go up for a revote in Miami-Dade County within two years, hopefully with different results.

Actually it reaaaaly sucks for Broward. Here is a good article explaining why and a little quote:

"In fact, I can almost guarantee you that what little money does come in, Miami-Dade will end up getting more of it than Broward.

That's right, even though we voted no, we may still end up with more money than Broward, because the tax on slots is going to be divided by every county in the state. Miami-Dade, being the biggest, will likely get the most.

That's how stupid this deal is for Broward."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11095263.htm

TALLAHASSEE

Lawmaker: Let Broward annex Dade parimutuel

A proposal for Broward to annex a portion of Miami-Dade to encompass a parimutuel was met with skepticism by some -- and laughter by others.

BY ERIKA BOLSTAD

ebolstad@herald.com


TALLAHASSEE - Lose a slots election, redraw a map?

A creative mapmaking proposal being floated by state Rep. David Rivera would redraw the Broward County line a smidgen south just to include Calder Race Course -- one of three Miami-Dade parimutuels that lost out on slots when Miami-Dade voters rejected the machines last week.

But for a few hundred feet, Calder would be sitting pretty, said Rivera, a Republican lawmaker from Miami whose semi-serious proposal gathered some steam this week. Why not just draw the track into Broward, where voters approved adding slot machines to the county's four parimutuels?

Rivera, who represents parts of western Miami-Dade and Broward counties but not the racetrack, described his idea as an ''extremely surgical deannexation.'' Calder sits just a few hundred feet south of the Broward County line, in plain view of County Line Road.

''We'll just move it,'' Rivera said of the county line.

It's not entirely clear how or even if it could legally be done, Rivera said, but it's something he's researching, along with other ideas that would benefit the three parimutuels that lost out on slots.

No one at the course, which is owned by Churchill Downs in Kentucky, has even considered the idea, said Wilbur Brewton, Calder's Tallahassee lobbyist.

''It's interesting,'' Brewton said.

But is it realistic?

Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess was so stunned by the suggestion Friday that he was momentarily speechless when a reporter called. Burgess' northof-the-county-line counterpart, Broward Administrator Roger Desjarlais, laughed out loud.

''Simply so they could have slot machines?'' Desjarlais asked. ``There's not a legislator in town who would do that.''

Incredulity aside, the idea has come up before. Angry about the cost of fire service, town leaders in Golden Beach threatened in 1998 to secede from Miami-Dade and bring the community's hefty beachfront tax base to Broward County.

But realists point out that the legislative, logistical and legal reality of redrawing lines on a map could take as long as persuading Miami-Dade voters to vote on and approve the issue again in two years.

And even pro-gambling lawmakers such as Sen. Steve Geller are a little, well, skeptical, even if they're charmed by the audacity of the idea.

''I love it, but there's no chance of it happening,'' said Geller, D-Hallandale Beach. ``You can't have the same county on both sides of County Line Road.''

Herald staff writer Noaki Schwartz contributed to this report.

ha ha ha, thats the stupidest thing I have ever heard...

Actually it reaaaaly sucks for Broward. Here is a good article explaining why and a little quote:

"In fact, I can almost guarantee you that what little money does come in, Miami-Dade will end up getting more of it than Broward.

That's right, even though we voted no, we may still end up with more money than Broward, because the tax on slots is going to be divided by every county in the state. Miami-Dade, being the biggest, will likely get the most.

That's how stupid this deal is for Broward."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11095263.htm

That does nothing to explain how Flagler Dog Track and Miami Jai Ali, local Miami landmarks, are going to suffer in the next few years, because everbody is going to go to Broward.

also miami is losing out on thousands of jobs

one company on friday annouced it was going to hire 1000ppl within the next month.

i really dont think that many people are gonna stop goin to miami jai ali and flagler dog track... thes that go rite now dont go to play slots, they go for jai ali and dog racing, and if they want slots, they go to miccosukee... the slots up in broward will serve mostly broward residents... yes, broward will add some jobs, that dade will not, and more people will be going to broward than before, but i believe that this will be more of broward gaining customers to their slots more than dade losing any

The thing is all 4 of the Broward pari-mutuals will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade their facilities. That means they will add new buildings for the slots, new restaurants, new high-quality entertainment, new shopping, new hotels, new condos, probably eventually even theme parks to bring in famalies like Vegas has done. They will make them a regional destination.

The 3 pari-mutuals in Dade will have no money to upgrade their facilities and over time will become uncompetitive.

Another thing is that the Indian slot machines at Miccosukee, Hard Rock, and Coconut Creek are Class II machines (they are touchscreens with video games on them), not Class III (i.e., Las Vegas style). In Class II you are basically playing against the other players in the casino, and in Class III you are playing against the house only. Class III have higher payouts and are more profitable.

If the FL legislature approves Class III machines for Broward, all the indian casinos will be eligible to get them too.

The pro-casino people say the ballot clearly implied Class III machines, Bush thinks otherwise.

This may end up in court for years before we ever see slots.

If I'm not mistaken, it's not just slots that the Tribes will get either. If they allow Class III slots in Broward then the Tribes will be able to offer full scale class III gaming, including craps, blackjack, slots, etc etc..