Florida city moves to ban casinos amid state compact that could let Trump open one: report

On Wednesday, the Miami Heraldreported that a city that is home to a major Trump-branded resort is restricting casino development, amid fears that the GOP governor's new gaming compact could have let him start-up gaming operations there.

"The Doral city council on Wednesday voted 4-0 to ban gambling and casinos from the city unless approved by residents in a referendum, weeks after Gov. Ron DeSantis negotiated a $500 million gaming deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida," reported Samantha Gross and Martin Vassolo. "Critics believe the compact was tailored to allow casinos at properties such as the Trump National Doral Miami resort ... which local officials fear will bring negative impacts to their communities."

"DeSantis has dismissed those concerns as 'idiotic politics,' noting that a special gaming session of the Florida Legislature came and went last month with no move to allow casinos in either location, but local politicians remain concerned about future efforts," said the report.

As the report noted, DeSantis' gaming compact prohibits the Seminole Tribe from blocking the transfer of slot machine licenses to facilities within 15 miles of its main casino in Broward County — which could let Trump acquire a license, and then transfer it to the Doral resort.

The gaming deal, among other things, stops the Tribe from objecting to the transfer of existing slot machine licenses to anywhere 15 miles from its flagship casino in Hollywood, language that opens the door to former President Donald Trump purchasing a license and transferring it to his Doral golf resort. Three months ago, Eric Trump toldThe Washington Post a casino at the Doral would be "unmatched from a gaming perspective."

The vote by the Doral city council follows an emergency order banning casinos on March 12, which this decision now makes permanent.

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