Seminole, Florida state trade barbs over gambling compact

State attorneys and the Seminole Tribe immediately locked horns inside a Florida courtroom as the trial that could shape the future of gambling in the Sunshine State begins.

The Daily Mail reported that both parties quickly traded allegations of reneging on their 2010 “compact” before U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle.

In 2010, the Seminole Tribe and Florida agreed for the former to keep blackjack tables at its casinos as well as slot machines at most of its locations.  Florida has collected nearly $1.7 billion from the tribe as a result of the agreement.

The legal tussle began when the Florida Legislature thumbed down in 2015 a new larger deal, which will allow the tribe to offer roulette. For the Florida State, they prayed to the court to order the Seminole Tribe to remove the blackjack tables that are still in use.