Gambling Slots Approvedh2

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has sued governors, petitioned presidents and waited two decades to offer Las Vegas-style slot machines at its casinos. With the simple swipe of Gov. Jeb Bush's pen last week, they now are guaranteed to get the higher-stakes games. The question is: how soon? The hurdles are high: The tribe must first enter into an agreement, or compact, with a governor who is fiercely determined to limit gambling. Next, the Seminoles must get the compact approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior, whose secretary works for the brother of the anti-gambling governor. And, amid all this, fierce competition for the Seminoles' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood is only months away, when the newly signed law allows Broward's four parimutuels to bring in 6,000 slot machines after June 4.

By all appearances, the overwhelming success of the tribe's Hard Rock casinos in Hollywood and Tampa indicates they're not hurting for business. But on Friday, the Seminoles wasted no time sending a message that they want an agreement with the governor soon. ''The governor's announcement that he is committed to achieving a quick and fair agreement offers new hope that a compact can be achieved,'' Gary Bitner, spokesman for the Seminole Tribe, said in a statement to The Miami Herald. ``The tribe has been trying since 1991 to negotiate a compact with the state of Florida without success.'' But, he added: ''The tribe cannot wait indefinitely.'' The Seminoles will continue to pursue the alternative track they have taken since 1999, when they petitioned federal authorities to allow the tribe to offer Class III slot machines and other casino games such as blackjack, roulette, craps and keno, without a state compact, he said.