The Seminole Tribe is ready to play hardball aided by the state of Florida throughout the incapacity of state leaders to negotiate exclusivity for the tribe’s gambling operations.

And in the event that state doesn’t respond soon, the Seminoles say they are willing to play without them.

Seminole Tribal Chairman James Billie sent a letter to state officials telling them that Florida has 30 times to reach a new agreement with the tribe over their exclusive rights to work banked card games such as blackjack.

The letter was a very bureaucratically named ‘notice of commencement of compact dispute resolution procedures,’ an apparatus that ended up being included within the 20-year-compact agreed to between Florida and also the tribe in 2010.

But as the name of the procedure may enough sound innocuous, the fact is that this dispute has ended major issues and a lot of money on both sides.

Compact Included rights that are exclusive Banked Games

If the lightweight was initially agreed to, it included a five-year guarantee of exclusivity over banked games.

The exclusivity extended to five of the seven gambling enterprises operated by the Seminoles; as a swap, the tribe would pay the state at least $1 billion over the five years.

The payments to your state are slated to stop if anyone else is permitted to own games, which led both sides to find an expansion regarding the agreement.

But the state legislature didn’t approve a deal during their session earlier this season, and negotiations between Republican leaders and the tribe have not borne fruit after Governor Rick Scott neglected to reach an accord himself year that is last.

Based on the page, the Seminoles think they can continue to offer their games also if the state fails in the future to an agreement with them over the exclusivity.

Moreover, they do say, they would be under no obligation to continue payments that are making the state due to whatever they believe are violations of that exclusivity agreement.

Electronic Games, Player-Backed Offerings at Issue

At issue are two kinds of games which can be offered at some parimutuel facilities throughout the state. The Seminole Tribe believes that both of those games get against the spirit and the page of the compact.

First, there are electronic versions of roulette and blackjack that have been authorized by gambling regulators and are common at parimutuel areas.

These games run exactly like their table game versions, but use random number generators and are hence classified as slot machines.

There’s also issue with Three Card Poker games that are used at some racetrack casinos. The game rather than the house, but the Seminoles say that across the country, player-banked card games are considered to be banked games just as much as any casino-backed game in these games, a ‘designated player’ backs.

The tribe says that these games are sufficient to break the exclusivity contract in the lightweight.

‘while the tribe could have exercised its right to [stop its payments to the continuing state] immediately, it has thus far elected to continue making its payments to your state and, as a gesture of good faith, intends to continue making its re payments to their state pending the resolution of this dispute,’ Billie penned.

While the tribe method well mean to endure with their threats if an agreement cannot be reached, some think that the move is truly meant to force the local government to obtain additional serious about negotiating a deal.

‘From a legal strategy standpoint, it’s a good strategy,’ said Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton), who helped focus on the compact. ‘I disagree with the arguments they are making, but it at least gives them a procedural methodology to negotiate with all the state.’