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Commissioners Gamble On Slot Machine Plan At MIA

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Nov 4, 2009 5:52 pm US/Eastern

Commissioners Gamble On Slot Machine Plan At MIA

Reporting
Lisa Cilli
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MIAMI (CBS4) ― Miami-Dade officials are moving forward with a plan to install slot machines at Miami International Airport.

Commissioners voted Tuesday to apply for a permit, despite staunch opposition from local casinos and race tracks and the long odds it would be approved in Tallahassee.

They want gaming proceeds to repay debt that funded a massive airport expansion. Current annual revenue of about $630 million will have to climb to $1.1 billion by 2015 to cover the payments, MIA Deputy Director Miguel Southwell told CBS4 News partner The Miami Herald. 

The vote was actually for a permit to race quarter horses, though officials don't ever intend to run ponies at Miami International Airport. That permit alone enables a possible slot license -- though it's a loophole legislators vow to close. 

Local casinos, like the nearby Flagler Dog Track and Magic City Casino, say it would devastate their already-struggling businesses. Several commissioners disagreed that airport slots would affect other casinos because only ticketed passengers would have access to the machine which protects them from competing for customers. 

The only commissioners who voted against the application were Katy Sorenson, Rebecca Sosa and Joe Martinez. Natacha Seijas was absent for the vote.

 

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)

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