Miami Beach Commission: Unanimous Vote To Ban Casinos
Last week, the Florida House and Senate failed to come to an agreement regarding a gambling deal that would have expanded casino operations in eight counties and brought an additional casino to Miami-Dade. Just 24 hours after the bill died, Miami Beach commissioners have voted toward a push to ban gambling in Miami Beach.
Miami Commissioners Vote Against Casinos
On Wednesday, the commission met and discussed a change in zoning that would ultimately prohibit any new gambling establishments from entering Miami Beach city limits. The general opinion of commissioners was that SoBe has enough tourism and there is no need for expanding casino gambling options. Commissioner Ricky Arriola went a step further by noting that Tallahassee is attempting to force demand that simply is not there.
“No one has approached me since I’ve been in office, saying 'please bring a casino.'”, said Arriola. “This is all manufactured by the casino industry and in Tallahassee. They’re trying to put something here that we don’t want and trying to manufacture demand that doesn’t exist in our beach."
Aside from commissioners, there were other industry leaders that spoke out against casino expansions during the intense meeting. Bob Goodman, the current representative of Art Basel, was asked to speak on how the presence of casinos would impact the international art fair that brings in billions every year. Without hesitation, the former commissioner stated that the fair would potentially find a new home as their, “…position as Art Basel hosts would be in jeopardy.”
Other attendees spoke on the other potential effects of expanded casino gambling, such as decreased property values, increased likelihood of problem gamblers, and other socioeconomic pitfalls. Mayor Phillip Levine further reiterated that Miami Beach is not a city that needs to use casinos as a way to stimulate economic growth or revival. If anything, the tourism industry is thriving and supplementary venues such as the Miami Beach Convention Center assist with the city’s continued success.
Potential Casinos Speak Out
Though the commission voted unanimously on the zoning change – minus the vote of Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez who was absent - there were other industry leaders present that had differing opinions. As FL SB 8 moved toward negotiations with the House, both the legendary Fontainebleau hotel and Magic City Casino expressed interest in obtaining the additional casino license that the bill would have authorized. Alexander Heckler, a petitioner for Fontainebleau, suggested having the commission do further research before initiating the formal vote.
"We would ask that you ask your staff, or consult to do a study, to determine what happens if there’s gaming on the other side of the causeway and there’s not gaming here. Or, if you have a small boutique casino here and nothing on the other side of the causeway."
S. FL Casino Future Looks Dim
With the votes secured, the items will now go to the Miami Beach planning board. Commissioners believe that getting the zoning modifications approved will be the only way to guarantee that casinos are prohibited in Miami Beach. There has been a never ending cycle of Miami-Dade gambling expansion bills and the rezoning will prevent casinos in SoBe by excluding the area completely.
There has been a never-ending cycle of proposals for Miami-Dade gambling expansion, and though none have come to fruition, officials feel as though the most recent bill came too close for comfort. It looks as if the proposed zoning adjustments are moving full steam ahead.
"I think it’s really important for you all to understand how close we just came to having casinos in our backyard," said Dan Gelber, Miami Beach mayoral candidate. “The Florida legislature had agreed there was going to be one or two casinos in our backyard without us even having a moment to weigh in, in any way, the most non-transparent process you could imagine.”
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