Will Florida Overturn Gambling Legislation?

Revising the US state of Florida's gaming laws to allow for resort-style casinos is "a long shot".



That is the view of Marc Dunbar, a legal expert, who told InterGaming that the opposition to opening hotel/casino resorts in the state will mean casino gaming legislation faces a "significant uphill battle".



Florida is, of course, already one of the largest gambling markets in the US, boasting pari-mutual and tribal gaming facilities.



And in part because of that, the proposal will face a stern challenge from the Supreme Court.



"First and foremost is the case pending in our Supreme Court that involves whether the Florida legislature has the authority to expand gambling under the Florida Constitution," Mr Dunbar observed.



He added that while a trial judge has previously ruled in favour of the legislature's authority, "this case presents a major cloud over any gaming expansion measure as our entire gambling code must be re-written to accommodate casino gambling at the scale being proposed".