The allowance of Las Vegas slot machines in Broward County seems close. House and Senate leaders are about to make an agreement regarding this issue, although it is still not clear how the state will tax these machines. Both sides seem to agree about the time slot machines should operate, which is sixteen hours a day. As for taxation, legislators and staff involved in the negotiating process reported that the House is willing to set rates of 55 percent in return for signing off on the most profitable slots, while the Senate sets a 35 percent, and a maximum of 55 percent, if benefits reach 500 million dollars. The collection of these taxes would be spent on education, as the constitutional amendment requires.

The vice president of Hollywood Greyhound Dan Adkins said that if they are putting a limit on the number of slots allowed, they should be more permissive regarding the taxes. He insisted in the positive aspect of this gambling expansion, which will favor the areas economy and employment, thanks to tourism and construction projects respectively.

Governor Jeb Bush called a special session in December for legislators to decide upon this matter, after lawmakers had left town in May without having agreed on the issue of slot machines. The House is inflexible about restricting gaming to bingo machines in the two horse tracks, the jai-alai fronton, and the dog track of Broward County, and they wanted Las Vegas slots due to their high payouts. The House might agree with the Senate on the type of machine that would be allowed, if the latter approves the taxation proposed by the former.

Senate President Tom Lee said that although restricting countys gaming to bingo machines agrees with Republicans philosophy, voters decided to approve gambling expansion, for the issue, according to Lee, should be discussed in court. The fact is that most of negotiations have been discussed by legislators and not in public. Last fall Broward and Miami-Dade voters approved the allowance of slot machines at local pari-mutuel facilities.