The chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, Philip Hogan, declined the arguments of the Gov. Jeb. Bush and House leaders, who’ve stated that Indian expansion of gambling to roulette, blackjack and traditional slots, is an impossible venture and would entail infusion of only bingo-style machines at tracks and jai-alai frontons, which are already working full time at the Seminole’s Hard Rock Casino and Miccosukee’s Resort.
Hogan, a former Department Interior attorney and member of the Oglala Sioux tribe in South Dakota emphasized, that since Florida entirely prohibits other forms of casino games such as roulette, blackjack and craps, Indians are pressed to confine their gaming deployment to Las-Vegas-style slots.
Hogan also advocated that according to a federal law Indians are not only allowed to establish relations via the compact with the state, but the compact is committed to give them traditional Vegas slot games, in the absence of games such as roulette, blackjack and others. He rationalized his argument by saying that since approval of Amendment 4 allowed Broward and Miami-Dade counties to operate slots, Indians are entitled to have the same.
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