Mississippi considers bill that will try to retain Florida gamblers
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The state of Mississippi is considering measures and tax breaks that would help keep Florida gamblers coming back to the state.
Mississippi is reacting to casino expansion by the Seminole Tribe and new Florida laws that will expand poker and greyhound racing in the state.
According to pokerpages.com:
This week, Florida’s poker expansion bill, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller, passed the Florida Senate committee with an 8-2 vote. It paves the way for high-stakes and celebrity tournaments at parimutuels. It would also expand gaming to 18 hours a day on weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends, reports the Miami Herald. Current law allows card rooms to operate for no more than 12 hours a day.
The bill would also allow parimutuels to host and broadcast celebrity or charity poker tournaments like the ones that have become television mainstays in recent years. They could also have high-stakes tournaments in which up to 1,000 players each pay up to $10,000 in entry fees.
Mississippi is concerned about its gambling industry — nearly a quarter of the visitors to its casinos came from neighboring Florida last year. That could mean a loss in revenue of up to a quarter of a billion dollars for Mississippi, according to the story.
Mississippi’s legislature is now considering a bill that would give tax breaks for casinos that build attractions for non-gamblers.
