Vol. 5 No. 3, March 2008
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Miami Vice
Miami-Dade voters approve Florida’s second round of parimutuel slots
Voters in Florida’s Miami-Dade County last month approved the addition of slot machines to three parimutuel facilities. Miami-Dade voters two years ago rejected slots, after a state law was passed permitting local-option slots in that county and Broward County.
While Broward voters approved and three parimutuel facilities have since added slots, Miami-Dade voters were swayed by a last-minute anti-slot campaign led by former Governor Jeb Bush.
However, as expected, in the more-gaming-friendly era under current Governor Charlie Crist, voters easily approved slots. The referendum coasted to victory by a margin of 2-1, despite an 11th-hour campaign by anti-gaming activist Rev. Tom Grey to form a coalition of anti-gaming groups in an attempt to defeat the second referendum.
The law provides a maximum of 2,000 slots for each of three Miami-Dade parimutuel facilities, although estimates from the facilities themselves indicate that each will operate around 1,500 games. Slots will be added to Calder Race Course horse track, Flagler Dog Track and Miami Jai-Alai.
Robert Evans, CEO of Calder owner Churchill Downs, Inc., praised the decision on slots as a way to permit the thoroughbred track to compete in the area of purses.
“Thoroughbred tracks without slot machine gaming are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to providing the competitive purse programs that attract the number of horses required to conduct high-quality racing,” Evans said in a statement.
The Miami-Dade parimutuels will have some daunting competition, as the state’s Seminole casinos went live with their own Class III slots last month. South Florida parimutuel operators are faced with competing with the tribe’s slots under a tax rate that requires them to turn much more of their revenues to the state than will be required of the tribe.
Broward parimutuels have cited that competition as a reason they have generated less revenue than originally predicted.
