Lawmakers rebuff DeSantis' push to bring casino to famed Miami Beach hotel

A legislative push to bring a long-sought casino to Miami Beach fell apart again this year despite Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration urging lawmakers to pass the bill.

The Republican governor could not sway key legislative leaders to sign off on the proposal that had drawn opposition from Miami Beach leaders as well as wealthy South Florida billionaires such as hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin. DeSantis has enjoyed tremendous clout in the GOP-controlled Legislature but some have speculated that he may have less clout now that he’s no longer a presidential candidate.

DeSantis had not been very vocal about his support for the legislation, but House Speaker Paul Renner acknowledged last week that he had spoken directly to the governor about the gambling legislation. Multiple lobbyists who represent gambling interests, who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly, said that DeSantis and his administration had encouraged legislators to move the bill forward this year.

The defeat of the bill marks one of the few instances in the last few years where DeSantis was unable to convince legislators to go along with one of his legislative wishes, although there is already speculation that the issue will return during the 2025 legislative session.

The bill would have opened the door to putting a casino in the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, the swanky resort once frequented by Frank Sinatra and where the James Bond classic Goldfinger was filmed. The push to bring a casino to the hotel is a goal of real estate billionaire Jeffrey Soffer, whose company owns the hotel as well as a gambling operation in nearby Broward County.

Jeremy Redfern, a spokesperson for DeSantis, said in a lengthy statement that the administration was “open” to a proposal that they contend would have contracted gambling operations in South Florida “in exchange for the relocation of the other license out of a residential blue-collar community to a tourist-focused beachfront hotel.”

The legislation would have allowed the owner of an existing gambling permit that includes slot machines to be able to shift them up to 30 miles away inside Broward and Miami-Dade counties, provided the new location was also at least 15 miles away from the casinos run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Under the terms of the bill, the relocation of a gambling permit to a new location would require the surrender of an existing gambling permit. Soffer’s company has two permits.

“We supported a proposal that would have not authorized any new gaming or construction of new casinos,” Redfern said. “Instead, it would have closed a large facility in Hollywood, Florida converting many acres of former dog track and gambling venues into needed housing and beautification for Broward County.”

Redfern added that the bill “would have brought massive, tangible improvements to Broward County and simultaneously brought over $120 million (largely from out-of-state visitors) to public projects in South Florida simply by moving existing slot machines to an existing hotel.”

Lawmakers were supposed to consider the legislation this week in a Senate committee, but state Sen. Joe Gruters, the chair of that committee, said the bill was dropped after it became apparent that House leaders, including Renner, were opposed to the bill.

The Miami Herald reported last week that opponents of the legislation — including billionaire auto magnate Norman Braman — were prepared to fly people to Tallahassee to speak out in opposition to the bill. Braman is also a Republican donor who gave $300,000 to Never Back Down last year.

Griffin, who moved to Florida from Illinois in 2022 and contributed to DeSantis’ reelection efforts, also wrote an op-ed for the Herald voicing opposition to the effort.

“I was supportive of bringing it up and giving it a hearing,” said Gruters, who did not support DeSantis’ bid for president. “But it was going to be a huge ordeal. Why put everybody through that if the bill is dead?”

When asked about the legislation, Renner would not say if the governor had encouraged him to support the bill.

Instead, he said a “consensus” had been reached with the governor to stick with current gambling laws and focus on the state’s multi-billion agreement with the Seminole Tribe that allowed the Tribe to offer sports betting as well expand what types of gambling are allowed in their casinos. That compact is still being challenged in the courts. The Seminole’s gambling arm gave $1 million to Never Back Down.

“We are all on the same page where we are,” Renner said. “Let’s get this done right. What happens in future years is up to future legislators.”