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Committee adopts expansive gaming amendment; bill reported favorably amid veterans’ concerns
Summary
CS for SB 1404, a broad gambling bill with a sponsor strike‑all amendment, was adopted and reported favorably. The amendment added reporting requirements for the Florida Gaming Control Commission, tighter penalties for illegal gambling, and other changes; veterans' organizations and VFW speakers urged clearer standards and safeguards.
Sen. Corey Simon’s strike‑all amendment to CS for SB 1404 was adopted by the committee and the bill was reported favorably after questions from members and extensive public testimony from veterans’ organizations, industry groups and others.
Sen. Corey Simon, sponsor, told the committee the amendment adds new reporting requirements for the Florida Gaming Control Commission, changes permit reissuance language and allows slot permit holders to move within a quarter mile of their current location with commission approval. He said the bill increases penalties for illegal gambling, including making operation of a gambling house a third‑degree felony and trafficking illegal slot machines a first‑degree felony with fines up to $500,000.
Why it matters: The amendment is wide‑ranging — it addresses sports wagering definitions, age restrictions for card rooms, increased criminal penalties for illegal operations, and preemption of local regulation in certain areas. Committee members and stakeholders focused on how the bill would define illegal machines and how veterans’ organizations and other nonprofit permit holders would be treated.
Several veterans’ representatives and membership organizations told the committee they supported clearer, tighter standards and a reliable review process but opposed the bill as drafted. The VFW and American Legion speakers said the bill’s machine definitions and the "parts thereof" language are too vague and could inadvertently criminalize ordinary devices; Frank Roycroft, commander of a local VFW post, urged clearer, simpler language. The VFW and American Legion asked for a dependable declaratory‑action process with clear review criteria and suggested an amnesty or safe‑harbor period to allow leased machines to be returned or remedied.
Sponsor Simon acknowledged some language could be tightened and said he is willing to work with members to clarify criteria and consider amnesty windows. After adopting the amendment without recorded dissent, the committee reported CS for SB 1404 favorably.
The committee adoption means the amendment will be part of the bill as it proceeds. Several veterans’ groups and machine manufacturers asked for continued negotiations and clearer technical definitions as SB 1404 moves forward.
