The Walt Disney Company and the Seminole Tribe of Florida have teamed up in support of an anti-casino initiative, Amendment 3. This bill would only allow new casinos to open if 60 percent of the entire state of Florida voted that they wanted the casino to open.
What is Amendment 3?
The amendment is being billed as a step for voters to take control of the entertainment opening in their state. In fact, its title is “Voter Control of Gambling.”
According to researchers for the best spread betting app currently available, of the $27 million that has been given to support the amendment, $26 million has come from Disney and the Seminole Tribe. The Seminole Tribe gave $11 million and Disney gave $15 million.
Casino Competition vs Voter Control
With the Seminole Tribe controlling a large portion of the casinos in Florida, they are backing the bill to alleviate any potential competition. As of now, the Seminole Tribe has seven casinos open throughout the state.
While Disney doesn’t have any stake in the casino game. They have refused to open casinos on their cruise line and have no casinos in their parks. However, they do have a lot of stake in the Florida entertainment market. With a new casino opening, it would mean more people spending their money there. That means less money being spent at Walt Disney World or Disney Springs.
But the campaign to pass Amendment 3 isn’t being billed as a campaign to get rid of competition for two of the biggest entertainment companies in Florida. Instead the campaign focuses on the voters. The committee’s name is Voters in Charge. On their website, they describe Amendment 3 as an initiative that “puts Florida’s future in voters’ hands when it comes to gambling.” Also according to their website, Voters in Charge is sponsoring Amendment 3. It makes no mention of where the money to sponsor is coming from.
Will It Pass?
According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Amendment 3 has enough support of pass this year. Of the 13 proposed, only four had enough support. According to their poll conducted in late May and early June, Amendment 3 received 61 percent in support. 23 percent were opposed and 15 percent were undecided.
Only time will tell if the voters in Florida maintain that support. Amendment 3 will be voted upon on November 6th.