The gaming issue in Florida goes on and on and round and round.
Who actually is driving this bus? Is it Governor Scott? Is it Speaker Weatherford? Is it Senate President Garrett Richter?
A hale and hearty NO to those names.
If you peer through the bus window, and mind you this is not a yellow school bus but rather a sleek state-of-the-art recreational vehicle you will see the face of Jim Allen. Perhaps the most powerful man in gaming in the state of Florida and among the top ten nationally, Allen is flying below the radar. Allen has led the rise to gaming prominence of the Seminole nation for close to fourteen years. He is officially dubbed Chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming, but for all intents and purposes he is the end-all be-all of Florida gaming. He might singlehandedly control the outcome of the Florida gubernatorial race. Will he negotiate with Governor Scott or decide he wants to work out the terms of a new tribal compact with former governor Charlie Christ? With the money, the power, and the knowledge of how to get exactly what he wants Jim Allen is calling the shots on the landscape of Florida gaming. Disney may have the power of the mouse but the Seminole tribe has a hammer in the hand of the savvy and talented Jim Allen.
