Group Launches Effort to Bring Legalized Casino Gambling to Fla Travel Weekly 5/13/1982 6 - / 1 ' TRAVEL WEEKLY MAY 13 , 1 9 8 2 May 13,
With New Plans Not Included in '78 Drive
Group Launches Effort to Bring Legalized Casino Gambling to Fla.
the resurgence of Miami Beach tona Beach, the Tides Motel and gamble of all, if casinos are In order to place the amens
By JOEL A. GLASS and for the rebirth of tourism- Bath Club near St. Petersburg, not approved by the state's ment on this November's bal
MIAMI — Forces favoring oriented areas all over the the Causeway Inn in Tampa, voters, those investors presum- lot, Rosen's group must obtain.
legalized casino gambling in state." the Ramada Inn in Fort Walton ably would lose all. nearly 300,000 voters' signa
Florida, roundly defeated in a If casinos are legalized, Rosen Beach, the Holiday Inn - Beach- A drive that resulted in the tures on petitions by Aug. 4,
statewide referendum four added, "It will give us in Flor- side in Panama City and the question of legalized casino feat that some say cannot L.
years ago, last week kicked off ida something to really talk Beach Club and Holiday Hotels gambling in Florida wound up accomplished.
a new effort, but with several about, other than our weather in Fort Lauderdale. on the statewide ballot in 1978, Those critics point to the
new twists not included in the and fine beaches. It will bring Owners of the 11 prospective but was defeated by nearly a track record thus far of another
1978 drive. back to us the big shows that casino sites reportedly have 3 -1 margin. The addition this pro- casino group headed by a
Under the banner of a new made this area famous and it already contributed some year of gambling forms other Hollywood, Fla., publicist ac-
organization called citizens for will trigger construction of $150,000 to kick off the petition than just casinos is being done tive in the 1978 movement. His
Less Taxes, the pro- casino ad- luxurious new hotels and re- drive. in attempt to gain broader current effort has garnered on-
vocates launched a petition sorts. It also will double the Insiders estimated it could based support around the state. ly 144,000 signatures after four
drive to place a state constitu- revenue the state receives from take as much as $3 million to Four years ago, the strongest months of circulating petitions.
tional amendment before the tourism." win the casino battle this year. support for casinos was in Standing in the Nov. 2 election Under his group's proposal, To raise those funds, Citizens south Florida, yet when the g in strong opposition
to legalized casinos are a num-
that would not only permit 11 casinos would open simulta- for Less Taxes is expected ballots were counted, the ques- ber of Florida's leading busi-
casinos throughout Florida, but neously within 13 designated shortly to file with the Securi- tion lost in every one of the nessmen and politicians, in-
also a state lottery and legal_ counties of Florida, including ties and Exchange Commission state's 67 counties. Also, the eluding Gov. Bob Graham, who
ization of slot machines at the those in which Miami /Miami a request to form a public cor- referendum then called for has vowed to fight the issue
state's existing forms of legal Beach, Hollywood, Fort Lau- poration that would sell stock casinos only along a narrow
gambling — horse and dog derdale, Palm Beach and Key at a yet- to -be- determined per- oceanfront strip extending from down to the wire.
tracks and jai alai frontons. West are situated. share price. the southern tip of Miami One of the reasons often
The new effort, unlike that It also calls for creation of a With SEC approval, those Beach north to Hollywood, site cited for the failure of the 1978
of four years ago, is not heav- state regulatory authority to shares could be bought by of the Diplomat Hotel and casino drive was the staunch
ily backed by south Florida oversee casino operations if ap- residents of any state. Country Club, whose owner opposition of the state's gov-
hoteliers, who stand to gain a proved by the state legislature, In return, stockholders prob- was the largest financial backer ernor at the time, Ruben O. D.
lot if casinos are permitted. But or by local authorities if not. ably will be promised 1% of of the 1978 drive. Askew.
Citizens for Less Taxes' ch_ -_ Among the initial 11 casino the take of the first 11 casinos
man is Chuck Rosen, vice presi- sites would be the Castaways, for a 10 -year period. That in-
dent of the Castaways Resort the Marco Polo and Waikiki vestment could result in an
in Sunny Isles, Fla. — hotels, all in Sunny Isles, which annual return to stockholders
Rosen told Travel Weekly is just north of Miami Beach. of as much as 200 %, insiders
that he and his group want "to Other locations would include said.
use casinos as the catalyst for the La Playa Motor Inn in Day- But, in perhaps the biggest