It was the Mouse versus the Dolphin yesterday and Mickey won. Floridians will retain exclusive rights to authorize and potentially expand casino gambling in the state, including slot machines and electronic betting games.
Amendment 3, which received about 70 percent of the vote, was proposed by Voters in Charge — a political committee largely financed by the Seminole Tribe and Disney. The committee has spent more than $31 million on the effort, using voters’ distrust and special interests to build support for the ballot question. What this means is that voters must now vote to pass legalized sports betting in the state. It cannot be decided by the legislature.
If the amendment had failed, the authorization to expand gambling would have remained with the Legislature. The ballot initiative came about after the Legislature failed to agree on gambling decisions in recent years — particularly in the House, which is more opposed to gambling than the Senate.
Florida has not taken advantage of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling (repeal of PASPA) that essentially legalizes sports betting at the state level. The Legislature has also not taken to pitches from large companies for “destination resorts” that include retail, lodging and gambling options that could potentially boost the state’s economy.
While the amendment, in theory, gives voters the power to expand gambling, it could actually make the process more difficult. Changing anything by voter decision is a long process, and would therefore keep competition low for the Seminole Tribe and ensure a more “family friendly” tourism environment here, to Disney’s benefit.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce supported the amendment.