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If you have never been down to South Florida and had the privilege of driving down A1A, let me describe to you a sight that I will never forget.  I remember I was working a show in the area when I was I was in my mid-twenties.  I and another actress decided we would take a little detour just to say what the area looked like.  We went South on A1A which is the highway that runs right along the beautiful Atlantic Ocean.  However, it may not be easy to see the Atlantic in some spots but for the massive houses that are built along the coast.  To this day I have never seen homes so lavish.  I some spot you find homes that have their own private beach.  Inconveniently located across the A1A highway, but still, not many people get to say they have a private beach.

I look at these home, typically own by older and established people and have to wonder why there are not more destination resort casino in Florida already.  These people are the kind of people that can afford to go to casinos and do.  However, for people with this sort of money it will be important for Florida to pass a law that permits the operation of table games.  While some of the older ladies may not mind spending a few dollars and hours in front of the slot machines, to get the men out there, they will definitely need to upgrade to table games.  The venues will have to rival those of the world famous Las Vegas venues.

Atlantic City had it all figured out back in the 1970s.  Prior to New Jersey passing legislation that led to the construction of the now famous Atlantic City, the only legal place to get full casino action, meaning slot machines and table games, was in Nevada.  Granted, gas did not cost four dollars a gallon as it does today, but not everyone was able to make the road trip.  So New Jersey decided to bring the action of Las Vegas to the beaches of the East.  And that, in my opinion was part of the genius of Atlantic City, the fact that all of the casinos are clustered in one beautiful spot in a resort town.  The only draw back to Atlantic City is that the climate of the northeast means they will have an on and off season.  If Florida would open their eyes they would realize that they could do the same thing with South Florida without concerns for the weather.

The Beaches of South Florida would be perfect for a string of destination resort casinos.  People already flock down to Florida during the winter and the spring, the state practically has a gambling demographic built in for them.  During the winter it would be all of the elderly people escaping the winter chill.  These people are the main draw of most casinos and they have the money to really spend.  During the spring time it will be all of the college kids desperate to do something grown up and spend as much of daddy’s money as possible.

What are you waiting for Florida?!  The casino industry has reared up on its hind legs ready to pounce and scatter slot machines all over the area.  It seem obvious to me that South Florida with its lack of anything really exciting to offer would be the perfect place to create a major hub for destination casino.  It has been clear for some time that the industry is ready to build down there and I cannot blame them.  If you know anything about slot machines, you know that the major demographic for slots enthusiasts are women in the middle age and above.  That is part of the reason why the Sex and the City slot machine was such an absolutely brilliant idea.  This being the cases, I ask again, what is the hold up?

I just spent two months trying not to go mad from boredom while doing a show in South Florida.  If there is one thing that I know for sure, it is that South Florida definitely has a lot of old women with nothing better to do then spend there money on slot machines.  South Florida already has a reputation for being the place where the elderly in this country flock for their twilight years.  You would think that that fact alone would have dubbed South Florida the number one destination for casino gambling in the world.  I suppose Las Vegas had the opportunity first.  It seems obvious to me that the casino industry should have taken a stake in South Florida long ago.

If you have ever been down to Florida you have no doubt taken a long drive on one of the many, many highways that connect the broad expanse of a state.  It is also very likely that while on that same trip you looked off the road and saw a circle of vultures circling in the air.  Those buzzards are typically found around the states infamous massive trash dumps.  However, they are an apt analogy for what is happening in South Florida with the gambling industry.  I do not mean this in a derogatory sense in the way of calling the casino industry scavengers, but the industry has its eyes set on expanding into South Florida with a quite a few brand new destination casinos.  Many major companies are circling about that region of the state prepping to get a piece of the action once the state finally opens the flood gates.  I just do not see what the hold up could be in the first place.

Florida is not the kind of state to get caught up on any sort of moral high ground.  This is the state where they allow people to shoot first and ask questions later.  It is not as if they are concerned that slot machine in Florida will have a negative impact on the community down there.  If Florida is smart, they will realize they have the ability to do what New Jersey did with Atlantic City only the weather in Florida will permit them to do it year round.

I was recently down in South Florida for two months.  I was not very happy down there, to be perfectly frank with you.  It was not all bad.  I have a very tough time dealing with the Winter most times, and having the privilege of being bathed in warm sunlight while the rest of my friends back up north where suffering through the winter in the city was very welcomed.  But the problem with South Florida is that there is almost nothing to do down there at all except drink alcohol.  I kid you not.  I am glad I live up in New York City where there are endless parks, museums, and restaurants.  New York City also happens to be a great party town, but there is more to do up here during the day than just get wasted.

South Florida is not the same.  Unless you pick up surfing there are not a lot of reason to visit the beach on a regular basis.  Truthfully, even the beaches of Florida are just a beautiful place to do absolutely nothing… and perhaps enjoy a beer.  For that reason alone I think South Florida could use a few more destination casinos.  Destination casino sort of create a downtown atmosphere all in one location.  If the legislators of the state are smart they will build a few more casinos if for nothing else, to keep the entirety of their bored population out of trouble.  Heck, a few more casinos may even save some lives down in Florida.

Accessibility is one of the most import things to consider when a state is building a new casino.  However, almost equally as important is whether the casino will fit in with its new home.  There are many casino projects that have been scraped due simply to the inappropriate feel of the venue in the area which it was chosen to be constructed.  That is part of the reason why the Cordish Cos. venue in Anne Arundel County Maryland was delayed for so long before construction was finally allowed to commence. There were some locals the thought the presence of a massive casino right next to a shopping mall was in appropriate.  There was a big political push to have the casino relocated, but Cordish Cos won out in the end.

This, I believe, will not be a problem in South Florida.  If there is any place in this country, outside of Nevada, that screams plant a casino right on my face, it is South Florida.  South Florida has a very different reputation from the rest of the state.  Once you get down there you are no longer in Disney town.  South Florida is known to be a lot of fun, but in that adult sort of way.  There is not a lot to do down there accept hit bars, clubs, and beaches.  All of those places generally involve a lot of drinking.  I believe slot machines at the very least would be a welcome addition to the fast paced Miami scene.

If only picking a new place for a casino was as easy as throwing a dart at a map of your state.  There are a lot of things to be taken into consideration.  Although slot machines have the ability to make a lot of money almost anywhere they are placed, accessibility is a huge issue when it comes to planning a new casino.  It is no coincidence that many new casinos are located right next to major Interstates.  It is also a necessity for the casino to be physically located on a stretch of highway wide enough to accommodate the traffic that is likely to amass outside the venue on any given night.  For all these reasons Florida is ripe for a major gambling expansion.

As a person that used to live in Florida and commute mostly by bicycle, I can affirm that most of Florida is nothing but super in convenient tracks of highway.  There are not many narrow roads in the state and that is the reason why the state is home to some of the highest rates of pedestrian death by vehicle strike in the nation.  The place is not built for walking.  Florida is not one of those places where brand new roads are super necessary for the expansion of casinos or slot machines.  Places like South Florida are, in my opinion, ripe for massive, beachfront destination venues.  The state is sure to draw more tourists and make a lot more revenue.  I believe the arrival of destination casinos is impending.

So there is a whisper in the air that South Florida is about to be the home of several new destination casino resorts.  The only thing that I am surprised about is that it did not happen sooner.  I suppose the delay has been the pact that the state has with tribal casinos that give them an advantage on things like slot machines and blackjack.  But based on the history of Florida I am highly surprised that the idea to develop destination casinos did not surface sooner.  It seems to me, especially being the home of Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Miami Beach that it would have occurred to the Florida Legislature that if they were to build massive, Las Vegas style casino resort that the state could really profit from it.

I think Florida is long over due for a massive gambling overhaul .  Florida, with its swampy landscape and hurricane magnetism is not great for much.  It was perfect for NASA since it is so very close to the Equator, but other than that its consistently sunny weather is probably best used for vacationing.  The fact that tourism is one of the major revenue makers for the state is the reason the state should have long since considered the addition of destination casinos, particularly in the southern most parts of the state.  If there is any place on the planet that is a perfect fit for casinos, it is south Florida.  Although they will need table games down there.

Recently a bill that would have made it possible for a massive expansion of casino gambling in South Florida was defeated. However, most experts in the gambling industry believe it is only a matter of time before South Florida will be the home of a whole family of brand new resort casinos.  I would not be surprised.  Florida is perhaps the perfect place to construct destination casinos.  Beyond that, there are already some major moves being made by the games biggest players that indicate that they are confident the law will change.  Casino gambling legislation is not always as simple as whether people want casinos or not.  More often than not it boils down to how gambling is expanded.  Legislators, and rightfully so, get hung up on how many licenses to offer and how many slot machines to make available.

The fact that Genting has purchased a very expensive piece of land tells me that things are in flux in Florida.  Genting is one of the most successful casino operators on the planet.  There operation is international now that they have a casino in New York City.  Genting is not the kind of company that needs to make a risky move like buying a plot of land just in case Florida changes their mind.  When a company like Genting tips their hat in such a manner it tells me that the state of Florida is in the midst of a big push to expand its gambling offerings.  We will all have to wait and see.

It appears very difficult to say no to the gambling industry.  One thing is for sure the gambling industry is having a dialogue with state governments that we the people are not privy to hearing.  I have seen time and time again where big casino operating companies have spent a lot of money on a first step to either housing slot machines or building casino long before state law approved such an expansion.  It is not as if large companies are operating casinos without the consent of the state government, but they have been known to make millions of dollars worth of investments in preparation for a gambling venue that is not yet possible under the current law.  The first example is when Penn National Gaming purchased Rosecraft Raceway in Maryland.  According to Maryland law each gambling operator is only allowed to hold on to one gambling operating license at a time.  Penn National Gaming already operates a casino in Cecil County, Maryland.  The only reason why the company would purchase a crumbling racetrack is because they intend to operate slot machines at a later date.

Another example is the massive tracks of land the Genting purchased in South Florida.  A bill was just rejected that would have paved the way for massive casino expansion in the region, but none the less Genting had to feel pretty confident about a change in the air to make such a large investment.  A successful company like Genting does not make a habit of foolish investments.