By a vote of 16-4, the Florida House Select Committee on Seminole Indian Compact Review advanced <a href="http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=42069&BillText=cardroom&HouseChamber=H&SessionId=61&">HB 7145</a> on Monday.
The bill:
<ul>
<li>Increases the bet limit from $5 to $50</li>
<li>Increases the Texas Hold’em no-limit buy-ins from $100 to $1,000</li>
<li>Increases tournament buy-ins consistent with the bet-limit increases</li>
<li>Increases cardroom hours of operation from 12 to 24 per day</li>
<li>Allows cardrooms to host two celebrity/charity tournaments per year with no restrictions on buy-ins, so long as the gross receipts go to charity.</li>
</ul>
In addition, the bill establishes new guidelines for quarter horse racing and lowers the tax rate and license fee for pari-mutuels that operate slot machines.
Today, the Florida Senate’s Policy & Steering Committee on Ways & Means will consider <a href="http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=40442&SessionIndex=-1&SessionId=61&BillText=cardroom&BillNumber=&BillSponsorIndex=0&BillListIndex=0&BillStatuteText=&BillTypeIndex=0&BillReferredIndex=0&HouseChamber=S&BillSearchIndex=0">CS SB 836</a>.
The bill removes the bet limits and buy-in restrictions for poker cash games and tournaments and expands hours of operation to 18 a day and 24 on weekends.
In addition, the bill allows pari-mutuels that have slot machines to offer blackjack if a compact with the Seminole Tribe is reached that gives the Seminoles craps and roulette, allows pari-mutuels that do not have slot machines to offer electronic gaming machines, establishes new guidelines for quarter horse racing, allows pari-mutuels to offer wagering on historical racing, reduces the tax and license fees for pari-mutuels that operate slot machines, makes 18 the minimum age for all gambling and introduces new regulations for a number of administrative issues.
