Washington Post: “Florida legislators approved a legislative package Wednesday that will dramatically expand gambling in the state and sets the stage for former president Donald Trump to pursue a casino license at his Doral golf resort. The legislation includes a 30-year compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, negotiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a Trump ally. The compact includes a provision barring the tribe from interfering should the state issue a gambling license to a facility more than 15 miles ‘in a straight line’ from the tribe’s Hard Rock Hotel Casino Hollywood.”
“Trump’s Doral resort, which he purchased in 2012 and then spent an estimated $250 million renovating, is slightly more than 15 miles away. Trump’s son Eric Trump, who has managed the company since Trump entered office in 2017, told The Washington Post in March that Doral would be a natural fit for a casino. ‘Many people consider Trump Doral to be unmatched from a gaming perspective – at 700 acres, properties just don’t exist of that size and quality in South Florida, let alone in the heart of Miami,’ Eric Trump said in an email. He did not respond to a request for comment this week. Trump’s Florida resort touted as potential gambling destination Opponents of the legislation, which could dramatically increase sports and online gambling in Florida, called the compact too deferential to Trump’s Doral resort and another prospective casino site, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, owned by developer Jeffrey Soffer. The tribe’s opposition has been a major obstacle to efforts to establish new casinos.”