According to the Miami Herald:
After years of antigambling battles, Florida’s property-tax crisis and shrinking state budget have opened the door for gambling proponents, who persuaded a Senate Committee on Monday to approve expanding slot-machine gambling throughout the state.
To the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, the proposal to allow expansion of so-called ”video lottery terminals” to about 25 existing parimutuels was a financial issue. Senators talked about the money it could raise — up to $2 billion a year — and planned ways to spend the money before it even gets to the full chamber for a vote. And in the 25-minute debate, there was almost no mention of the money’s connection to gaming.
