Florida to Become the New Poker Destination
Wil Herrera, the Mardi Gras poker room manager at Hallandale Beach, Florida has the reason to be optimistic. The Florida State Senate has proposed a new bill that would liberalize gaming laws statewide, with the aim of raising revenue and transforming the Sunshine State into a major gaming destination. At the moment, the laws in Florida restrict no-limit poker to a maximum buy-in of $100. If the new initiative prevails, no-limit poker will become legal.
The new law would also increase the limit for tournament buy-ins witch is currently capped at a few hundred dollars and would lower the minimum gambling age to 18. Seminole resorts would also be allowed to add craps and roulette. Herrera has no doubts about the effect the new order would have on gaming in Florida: “Poker would explode down here.”
Vanessa Rousso, a pro poker player from Florida commented on the present situation that skilled players “don’t have enough chips in front of them to play out the bets and raises that are required in the skillful aspect of the game.” Many professional poker players have criticized the present laws arguing that the players who can never lose too much on any given hand are more likely to risk all their chips in marginal situations, therefore it blunts the skill and actually promotes more gambling.
The new initiative, however, faces strong opposition from the state House, which has issued its own bill, in order to move gaming in Florida the opposite direction. While Governor Charlie Crist has declared his support for the Senate bill, its opponents are determined not only to keep the current restrictions, but also suggest shutting down all card games at the Seminole resorts. However, the fiscal realities may help the Senate bill, as the state faces the need to bring in more revenue without raising taxes. The boost in gaming with all these new regulations could generate over $1 billion a year for the state, which is now suffering from a $6 billion budget deficit.
March 31, 2009