From Tampa Bay Times
If Florida decides to expand casino gambling, the move could harm the state and Orlando’s tourist brand, says a new gaming report commissioned by the Florida Legislature.
The report, released late Monday, comes at a time when lawmakers plan to review and rewrite the state’s gambling laws, and decide whether gambling should be expanded statewide.
“The brand equity of Orlando has benefits for the entire state” and “expanded gambling may fundamentally change the state of Florida as a place to live and visit,” writes Spectrum Gaming Group, a New Jersey-based gambling consulting firm. “Rather than benefiting the state, expanded gambling (especially casinos) could make Florida a less-attractive tourist destination.”
Those observations may come as a surprise to many, who expected that Spectrum would produce a report that advocates for expanded gambling since it does the bulk of its business on behalf of that industry.
But the head of the Senate Gaming Committee emphasized that the report’s goal is to provide lawmakers with a map of the terrain.
“The report does not, and will not, make policy recommendations,” said Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples. He said it will be the responsibility of the committee “to review gambling statutes, to address the ambiguities, inconsistencies and exceptions in current law, and to craft an action plan.”
