Florida inhibits slot machines at Jacksonville poker room

Bestbet will be temporarily denied to provide slot machines at its poker room but has three weeks to appeal the state’s decision.

US.- The state of Florida denied Poker room bestbet’s request to add slot machines at its facilities in the Jacksonville area due to legal reasons. Despite the approval of November’s referendum, only the modification of existing gambling laws would turn the tables on the decision.

Duval county locals voted for the inclusion of slot machines in bestbet premises after the successful lobbying that supposedly cost them over US$2 million. The gambling venue owners applied for the mandatory licence in order to place two thousand machines at their site, after the referendum put up the poker room as the only legal slots business within a 50-mile radius.

The state informed bestbet President Jamie Shelton that their request wouldn’t be accepted as only if its authorised in the Constitution, slots could be licensed in counties where these had been previously approved in a referendum.

A spokesperson for bestbet’s parent company said to the local media that they would take no further actions despite having three weeks to appeal the decision. Nonetheless, they hope that the state will consider that Duval County’s residents voted in favor of the slot machine addition.

In the meantime, two antagonistic bills are being assessed by the Florida Legislature. The Senate favors the one that would expand gambling across the state, which is the one that would include the addition of slot machines at properties where this has been approved by county voters. The House, on the other hand, wants to bar regulators from issuing new licenses for slots in gambling venues across the state. It is yet to be decided what type of legislation will be passed at the Capitol.