The First District Court of Appeal has ruled by a 2-1 margin that the state improperly denied a slot machine license to a horse track in Gadsden County. The court said the license should have been granted because Gadsden voters approved a referendum authorizing slots.
State regulators had turned down the slot machine request due to a legal opinion by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The 51-page ruling could impact because other counties where voters have approved similar referendums, such as Lee, Brevard and Palm Beach. have approved similar referendums.Slot machines could be coming to several Florida dog and horse tracks if a far-reaching court ruling holds.
Read ruling.