Florida appeals blackjack case

The State is questioning a ruling that gives the Seminole Tribe the rights to offer blackjack.

US.- Florida officially appealed a court ruling that gave the Seminole Tribe of Florida the exclusive rights to offer blackjack and card games in their facilities. Earlier this month, the judge Robert Hinkle rejected a second petition from Gretna Racing, a parimutuel cardamom operator in Gadsden County.

The Seminole representatives consider the agreement as part of a 20-year contract with the State, so the operation of card games, such as blackjack baccarat, should be exclusively managed by the tribe until the agreement is expired. With Hinkle’s resolution, the tribe’s demand was accepted and card games are supposedly set to be operated by them for another 15 years. Judge Hinkel told Gretna Racing that they’re not affected in the case, therefore they should not intervene. On the other hand, the state and the tribe have been trying to reach a successful agreement, and they presented a deal but it didn’t pass the legislature.

The tribe signed a five-year agreement with the state in 2010 to operate banked card games at five of the tribe’s seven casinos. Even though the agreement expired last summer, the Seminole Tribe has continued to offer the games. The case was centered on two types of games: card games and slot machines that simulate blackjack, which are currently authorised by state gambling regulators at pari-mutuel facilities.