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The midterm elections were an important time for gambling companies. Most states have put the issue of legalizing gambling or at minimum increasing land based casinos on the ballots in some form or another. Some states wanted the voters’ decision on building specific new gambling casinos in their states. They wanted to make sure that gamers are aware of the benefits of gambling, but have the opportunity to see the downside too. Prior to the midterm elections, advertisers on both sides pined and petitioned for their positions to be heard. On one end were the pro-gambling organizations that cite the growth in revenue and job possibilities as the main reasons why gaming companies should be allowed to expand in the markets. They believe that the benefits of gambling companies are the biggest draw to making the moves. They also advertised that gaming companies will bring in millions in tax revenue dollars, thus making the taxation put upon voters that much smaller. On the other side though was the group of organizers who stated that legalizing and regulating gambling would bring more problems than benefits. Sure there would be a rise in revenue due to the increases in gambling, but the ancillary problems would take over a huge chunk of that revenue. Namely, they cited gambling addictions, crime, corruption, money laundering and other illegal activities as the specific things that would weigh heavily on the communities that allowed gambling in.

Gaming regulators were hoping that they would get the backing of the American public for gambling changes, but that isn’t what happened. For the most part voters opted to either maintain the 50-50 split on the issue, or vote against gambling altogether. It was not the outcome gaming operators were hoping for. In addition, now Marco Rubio has moved into the Senate in Florida. Rubio is known as a conservative who most likely will vote against any gambling growth towards legalization. His push regarding the issue is the rise in criminal activity that anti-gambling activists first started to promote while advertising for their own side of the issue. Only time will tell what happens, but gambling is still a hot topic in the world of legislators.

People who are against legalizing gambling believe that one of the biggest problems is going to be a rise in crime and corruption. They believe that gambling will inevitably bring in money laundering and addictions too. This is not proven, but there could be some validity to the argument. There has been a recent surge in problems that governments are facing as a result of gambling debates. Florida is the latest state to make headlines regarding the issue. Gamblers Anonymous reported that it has had an increase in calls throughout the last few months and many of them are centered on lottery addictions. The state of Florida holds a weekly lottery and now is pushing to create more options. This past week, the state created the Lucky Lines lottery. This is a game that is instant too so gamblers can buy their ticket or tickets and then have the clerk check them for winners immediately. The top win for the game is $3 million and the tickets are highly affordable—the most expensive costing just $5 to play.

The affordability of the new game is one of the things Gamblers Anonymous operators are questioning. It makes it highly likely that gamblers will want in since the game costs so little, but comes with such a huge potential payout. Gamblers are going to find it difficult to say no to that kind of win. They are saying that the state is setting up the communities for even more addictions to arise. Studies have shown that there are two major games that are addictive. They are the lottery and slots. Both games take on the top slots at the list because they are so affordable but have big returns. If a game costs $50 to get in on, most residents will think twice, or so studies have shown. If a game costs just $1 to $5, they are much more likely to take a shot at the big payout win. It’s an emotional decision for people and that is what can cause people to go overboard. Plus if the gaming time is short, people have no time to experience buyer’s remorse. Rather they buy the ticket and immediately get the results. It is so quick that mentally people have a hard time even remembering gambling. Overall Florida is now going to have to rethink its gambling plans and namely its new lottery. Though it sounds like a great option, it could be putting residents in danger of falling into more addictions themselves.

One of the natural repercussions of bad weather is gambling casinos losing patrons. It is a problem that a lot of casinos are having now that there are more and more natural disasters on the rise. Namely the big news right now are casinos in the South Florida are—they were recently affected by Tropical Storm Nicole that hit the southern east peninsula hard. Casinos run along the coast because of the beautiful weather and the ocean views. It is a tropical paradise attached to the states that millions of gamblers venture to in hopes of a great time. Now the weather is proving to be too hard to contend with. Attendance has been down at all of the casinos in the area. Most local gamblers in the area are well aware of the difficult rains, winds and travel conditions and want no part in it. This cuts down on the casinos’ normal revenue stream. Add to that the travelers and tourists also have heard about the storm and are opting for other locations to wager at or to cut out gaming altogether for the next few weeks.

This is a difficult time for land based casinos. They are getting stiff competition as more and more states are opening up the door to legalizing and regulating gambling. This is allowing more companies to step into the market and make their own mark with state of the art casino gaming. One casino after another is trying to outdo the last one too. It is a hard time for gamers because they know that the options are vast and getting better. Not to mention the introduction of the online market to the world of gambling too—that is creating even more competition and now the revenue stream by gamers is getting thinner and thinner by the month. It is a hard time for land based casinos to maintain their market shares and the difficult weather that is cutting in on their patrons is not helping. The best they can hope for is better weather and creating some great promotions to bring more gamers in. Hopefully that will enable them to stay in operations and start building up their money yet again.

Since the beginning of the recession there have been debates on gambling and whether or not its legalization is truly a good idea. Now that states are playing with laws, they are seeing some problems to deal with. Florida is a state that took its chances and now is has to pay the price for it. The state just had to carry out raids on illegal gambling activities. In addition, raids have taken place in North Carolina and Texas. It seems that the rise in illegal gambling is pushing the activity to the forefront. Now another state is having problems too. It seems that Georgia is the latest state to have to crack down on illegal gaming. The state has to raid eight illegal locations for gaming. It was in Harris and Muskogee counties that saw the raids in gas stations and pool alleys. The METRO Narcotics Task Force was there to carry out the deed. They had received various complaints from residents who saw the machines being played at the above locations. People said when they went to shop, they saw other patrons partaking in the illegal activities and cashing out from their wins. In Georgia players can wager, but games can’t be paid out in cash. Some states allow for prizes that are not monetary but awarding direct cash is not legal.

The sheriff of Harris County said that the police force was trying to send a clear message that these operations would not be tolerated and that they would be shut down immediately upon discovery. The reasoning is that legislators do not want these illegal casinos to push in on legal operations and steal their revenues. The market is already thin but with a number of illegal operations in the market, that could spell disaster for casinos that already have the proper licensing and protocols to by all means operate in the states. In the future Georgia will continue to push for heftier regulators and more in depth investigations to keep illegal gambling out of the mix. The most common locations for illegal gambling operations are poll halls, internet cafes, convenience stores and gas stations so far. These are the locations the Task Force is targeting for investigation.

One of the most quickly changing things in the market is poker law. The UIGEA was the first move for the US to regulate gambling but it deemed gambling illegal. The problem was that people who wanted to gamble were forced to move their wagering activities to offshore companies. The aftereffect of that move was that billions of dollars have been channeled out of the US and into these offshore countries. The US legislators quickly became wise of the huge dollars being fueled out of the country and made moves to change things. They wanted to create a series of laws that would help to regulate gambling and allow it to be legalized in the US. The big impetus was the huge tax-revenue dollars available and the attraction of using those dollars to help chip away at the deficits plaguing the country.

Florida is a state that is in the midst of debates over the issue of gambling. Native American tribes are looking to create revenue because most were hit hard by the recession of 2008/2009. The tribal leaders have been looking for ways to come up with more revenue since most of the gambling public was lost due to the hefty unemployment rate. The most current alterations in Florida gaming law include. The laws have pushed casino operators to create $1-2, $2-5 and $5-10 dollar no-limit hold’em games. It may seem odd that people would want to pay for the higher limit games, bur poker has become so popular that there are players willing to test their luck at the game.

Florida law is evolving. Remember that back in 1989 there was a “penny ante” poker that was legalized as long as the pot was not to exceed $10. Though this is a reasonable limit, there are thousands of players who were pining consistently for the higher payout limits. So far there have been many fans of the game who pushing for a change in the law and now it may be changing. Also, in 1996 legislators passed a law that allowed kennel clubs and horse tracks to play poker during racing sessions. There was still a $10 limit though that all participants had to work with. After many years of debate, the changes did come though. In 2006, the limit of $10 was elevated, however the individual limit was kept at $2. Expect more changes in the gaming law of every state—including Florida—in coming months. States are desperate to come up with new ways to bring in revenue and many legislators are going to be altering gambling laws to increase patronage to casinos.

After numerous years of fighting the states placed obstacles and buy-in restrictions, new poker laws will be coming in to place in Florida. The state, like most others has been battling the question of legalized gambling for the purpose of bringing in much-needed billions of dollars to the budget. Without gambling, there are few other options that can generate as much revenue needed desperately by state officials to balance the budgets. As a result, the changes in gambling will change the poker world considerably as 2010 continues. The governor is expected to sign the new bills regarding poker and that should cause the US Department of the Interior to approve gambling within the state.

For some time now Florida has been running behind the times with regards to gambling. For example, a lot of the casinos in the state have restrictions on the $100 maximum buy-in big blinds. The state’s casinos were also running five to ten dollar no-limit hold’em plays with a maximum buy-in of 10 big blinds. The House voted 74-39 to approve a new bill that would increase gambling law in the state. The biggest change will be directly with the Seminole Tribe of Indians who will from here on out be able to exclusively run Las Vegas-styled slot machines and have blackjack tables, along with other table games in five of the tribe’s seven running casinos in the state. The hours of operation will be increased and the $100 restriction will be a think of the past. The main reason for the changes is that estimators are projecting that the changes will bring $1 billion into the state over the next five year period of time.

Although the exact changes are not yet known, it is sure that the face of gambling within the state of Florida is about to change. The state is just one of the many that are going through revamping due to the changing world of gambling. The state is hoping that the funds will allow it to recover from the aftermath of the recession. The budget and various programs are in danger of permanent cuts without some form of money-generation. Legisators are hoping gambling is the sure-fire answer to their budget woes.

Picture a Vegas-style Bellagio on the beach. Rows of neon-lit slot machines, blackjack dealers and craps dice. This could be the future of Florida.  Until recently this endeavor would not even gain newsworthy attention but little by little support has been growing. As Florida’s Governor pushes his Seminole gambling deal yet again, legislators are beginning to think bigger — with even anti-gambling conservatives weighing the idea of trying to use Florida’s tourist appeal to create lucrative casino complexes.One of the Legislature’s conservatives, Rep. Alan Hays, says he wants the state to get into the gambling business directly by owning casinos and hiring private operators, similar to the state Lottery.

Legalizing gambling in Florida, with its huge tourist population, could lead to big big dollars for the state.  Legislators are beginning to drool at the thought of an extra 3 billions dollars in state revenue and have expressed a multitude of options for allocating said revenue. Hays, since being elected to the House in 2004, he has been a consistent “no” vote on gambling expansion.“No matter what my personal views are, that doesn’t mean gambling is going to go away,” Hays said. “With that in mind, I feel it’s my obligation to people of Florida to try to get the best deal we can.” This possibility, though, cannot happen overnight.  It will take years to pass legislation and agree upon specific terms. Florida has a current gambling economy of 7 billion dollars, the 6^th largest in the nation, but full fledged casinos are still not legalized.  Their  addition would be a large increase even to that.   

2010 is an election year and gambling and casinos is going to one of the key issues may politicians will focus on.  The debate ranges from family values to the bottom line.  It is uncertain which will be supported in the upcoming elections.  Meanwhile beachfront property owners are not holding their breath and are exploring alternative methods to increase revenue while at the same time politicians try to workout the rules for a debate on gaming in the state – a long way away from any actually progress on the matter being made.

In Florida you will find gambling on casino boats, Indian casinos and gaming machines at pari-mutuels in one south Florida county. When you gamble on the casino boats you will board and cruise offshore where casino gambling is legal. From the east coast the boats sail three miles out into the Atlantic Ocean and from the west coast the boats travel nine miles out into the Gulf of Mexico. Since the casino boats travel in international waters they are free from regulations and the machines can be set to pay back whatever the operator wants without regard to a minimum payback percentage.

August 2009 both Class II gaming machines and traditional Class III machines were offered at all of the Seminole casinos, except for Big Cypress, which only offered Class II machines. The Miccosukee Tribe only offers Class II machines at its casino.Class II video gaming devices look like slot machines, but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels are for “entertainment purposes only.” No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on any gaming machines in Florida’s Indian casinos.

Indian casinos are offer games such as: high-stakes bingo, video pull tabs, low-limit poker games. The Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood also offers blackjack, baccarat, mini-baccarat, three card poker, let it ride and pai gow poker. However, the introduction of those games has been ruled illegal by the Florida Supreme Court and those games might be removed in the future. As of  2005 voters in Broward County passed a referendum to allow slot machines at four pari-mutuel facilities within that county. The first slot facilities opened in late 2006 and two others followed within six months. The fourth facility, Dania Jai-Alai, has indefinitely postponed the installation of its slot machines.

AS of 2008 Miami-Dade County passed a referendum permitting slot machines at three pari-mutuel facilities within that county. The first slot facility was expected to open at Flagler Dog Track in November 2009, followed by Calder Race Course in February 2010. Miami Jai-Alai is not expected to begin offering slots until mid-summer 2010 at the earliest.

A minimum payback of 85% on all gaming machines is required in the state of Florida. Research shows that from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009, the gaming machines at Gulfstream returned 91.38%, the return was 90.89% at Mardi Gras Gaming and 92.16% at The Isle. Broward’s four pari-mutuel facilities also offer poker games with low stakes that are similar to the Indian casinos. Admission to all casinos is free and they are allowed to be open a maximum of 18 hours during the week and 24 hours on the weekends and some holidays.

Throughout the US states are moving more and more into the world of gambling. With hefty deficits and huge budgetary needs, states need to find ways to pay the bills. The recession wasn’t kind to the country and legislators are testing gambling as a means of bringing in millions of tax-revenue dollars. It is hoped that the money can be earmarked for future planning, expansion and education. Many of the programs, without some form of funding, will have to be cut for the 2010/2011 years. Some states are already earmarking projected funds for future funding without having legalized gambling yet. It’s a desperate time and legislators know that gambling has to power to help them overcome financial issues. The issue is how to regulate and legalize gambling and bring in huge dollars, without jeopardizing the safety of players nationwide.

Florida is a state that is jumping on the gambling bandwagon by expanding the hobby. In 2009 the state made record-breaking contributions to the goal of incorporating gambling revenue into the state budget. State filed reports indicate that the industry spent just under $5 million dollars to lobby Florida legislature. One Casino, Mardi Gras, spent over $600,000 dollars in lobbying efforts. The greyhound track casino has seen its numbers drop to some of the lowest on the east coast no doubt due to its proximity to the Seminole Tribe Hard Rock Casino and the Gulfstream Park Casino which have both been in the midst of outstanding growth throughout the last year and a half.

The Isle of Capri spent $410,000, the Seminole Tribe of Florida spent $395,000 and GTECH spent $320,000 on legislative efforts.  In addition, Boyd Gaming spent $110,000 and the Las Vegas Sands casino spent $65,000. There is no doubt that gambling operators and affiliates are coming together to push for legalizing gambling. Marc Dunbar, professor of Gaming Law at FSU College of Law, said, “I expect these numbers to be surpassed in 2010 when the Florida Legislature reconvenes in March with the same issues returning to the Florida Legislature and destination casinos being added to the agenda.” For anyone who wants to watch how gambling in Florida is coming together, check out FloridaGamingWatch.com.

Governor Riley of Alabama took some criticism last year. Riley made a bet with Florida Governor Charlie Crist over a football game. He ended up paying off the bet, but it opened a slew of problems for him. Riley has been a strong critic of bingo gambling in his state. He has long petitioned against the games, believing them to be illegal. As with any state, Alabama is drawn sharply on two sides regarding gambling. There is one side who has been gambling for years on video and bingo machines. They believe it is too late to pull the plug on games now, after years of operating. On the other hand is the group who believes bingo gambling is detrimental to society as a whole and will inevitably increase crime, money laundering, addictions and the overall cost to sustain it.

Riley was a critic who worked hard to keep the games out of the state. Part of the problem was that Riley set himself up as a strong opponent of betting and gambling of any kind. He took the staunch side of anti-gambling, citing that it should never be allowed. Then, he made a public bet himself.

Once Riley lost the bet to Crist, he knew there were problems. Despite reservations, he paid off the bed to Crist. That opened the door to a barrage of critics saying that Riley is a hypocrite. He doesn’t want gambling and has spent so much time decrying it to the public, but then he makes bet himself. Alabama residents have been shocked with Riley’s efforts to take away their bingo halls. Riley has set up a task force to seek out these “illegal” gambling establishments, and confiscate the video machines the bingo was being played on. After Riley’s bet, many voters became disgruntled, drawing comparisons between bingo gambling and football gambling. One of the disgruntled residents even pointed out that bingo is legal in some states, while sports’ gambling is illegal in all states except for Nevada and Delaware. Now that Riley has partaken in gambling, it is going to be hard to go back and erase the mistake. It also will be hard for him to remain in the fight against bingo gambling.