Las Vegas Sands Gives $17M to Florida Committee Focused on Gaming Matters

Las Vegas Sands is continuing to nidus its lobbying efforts on states that have long prohibited commercial-grade gambling casino operators.

After disbursement $20 gazillion in TX to convince tell lawmakers to decriminalize resort-style casinos, an exertion that turned out unfruitful during the 2021 legislative session, Sands is now directional its vim on Florida.

The Seminole Tribe has long held a monopoly on slot machines and tabularise games end-to-end to the highest degree of the state. The exclusion is inward Miami-Dade and Broward counties, where expansion slot machines are legal at pari-mutuel racinos.

Sands is supporting a newly formed political sue committee (PAC) called Florida Voters in Charge. According to the PAC’s to the highest degree recent drive finance disclosures made with the FL Division of Elections, Sands on June 28 cut off a chequer for $17,064,000 to the group.

If “Voters inward Charge” sounds familiar, it’s because a group past that epithet — sans the Sunshine State prefix — has been lobbying inward the nation since 2015. In 2018, Voters in Charge successfully led the Amendment 3 take the field to strip province lawmakers of their power regarding casinos. The ballot referendum requires that country voters — non politicians — have got the “exclusive rightfulness to resolve whether to authorise cassino gambling.”

Sands Motive Unclear

In March, Las Vegas Sands proclaimed its plans to sell both of its Strip resorts for $6.25 billion. Once the sell to Apollo Global Management and VICI Properties is completed, Sands will no more thirster hold a domestic help casino.

The proceeds from the sales event are expected to be used by Sands to further its investments in Asia, including in China’s Macau and Singapore. But Sands, a longtime opponent to online gaming spell below the reign of its later(a) founder, chairman, and CEO Sheldon Adelson, announced this calendar week that it’s ready to enter the digital space.

Florida Voters in Charge, a divide PAC from Voters inwards Charge, is staying vague on its political motives.

Our initial donor, the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, has long been interested in Florida, and we appear forrard to share-out to a greater extent nigh the FL Voters inward Charge effort in the coming weeks and months,” the PAC said inwards a statement.

Lobbying Wars

Along with Voters inward Charge and FL Voters in Charge, there are in time II to a greater extent late formed PACs that are honed inward on gaming matters.

Voters in Control received a $10 gazillion part from the Seminole Tribe on June 30. Voters inward Control is exercise set to fend for oppositeness to Florida’s of late reached unexampled Class III gaming thick with the Seminole Tribe. That heavyset allows its casinos to control sports betting, both in the flesh(p) and online. Critics say Amendment 3 prohibits say lawmakers and Gov. Daffo DeSantis (R) from legalizing such unexampled forms of gaming.

Finally, Florida Education Champions, also a new PAC, said it of late received $10 gazillion apiece from FanDuel and DraftKings. That commission says the province should set aside sportsbooks at professional sports stadiums, as advantageously as at pari-mutuel racinos statewide.

One of the to a greater extent composite gaming states as it relates to both federal and province laws, the betting odds are strong that Florida’s gaming industry will remain inward a res publica of flux for the time being.