Florida To Adopt Amendments on Gambling

The Florida Legislature was quite busy last Friday, as two gambling bills entered the debate in both chambers before this year’s legislative session came to a close. The House and Senate have always had a different point of view regarding gambling regulations but it seems that the two legislative bodies have finally agreed on adopting specific amendments after many failed attempts.

This year could be the breaking point for casino industry adjustments, due to a possible voter control on constitutional amendments and gambling regulations. In November 2018, the voters’ historical YES could allow lawmakers to submit changes to the state’s betting regulations without addressing the residents of The Sunshine State via poll.

According to the official page of Florida Legislature, the Senate Approprations Committee endorsed SB 840 on Friday, while the House made HB 7067 negotiable after three readings. The session ends on March 9th, and lawmakers are called by duty to announce their final gambling-related opinions.

Newly elected Senate President, Bill Galvano, hopes that both parts of the legislation could be brought into meeting by Wednesday, March 7th. However, this legislative session might as well be doomed, as adopting gambling reforms takes time due to a different view on exclusive provisions.

Moreover, formal gatherings regarding gambling-related decisions have always been tricky, due to contrasting views of both chambers. A provision in the bill could authorize the inclusion of slots at pari-mutuels, whose augmentation has been accepted in eight counties. In addition, the Senate bill would also permit the decoupling of dog and horse races, including card games and live events. On the other hand, the House is skeptic about the modification of these rules and does not allow demerging.