NCJ Number
45745
Date Published
1975
Length
393 pages
Annotation
THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MIAMI, FLORIDA, HEARING CONCERNING GAMBLING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IS PRESENTED. SEVENTEEN WITNESSES TESTIFIED.
Abstract
THE COMMISSION ON THE REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL POLICY TOWARD GAMBLING, ORGANIZED IN 1970 THROUGH PROVISIONS OF THE ORGANIZED CRIME CONTROL ACT, CONDUCTED THIS SURVEY OF GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN FLORIDA. PARIMUTUEL RACING AND JAI-ALAI ARE THE LEGALIZED FORMS OF GAMBLING IN THE STATE, AND THE MIAMI BEACH AREA HAS HAD REFERENDUMS TO DECIDE ON THE DESIRABILITY OF LEGALIZING CASINO GAMBLING. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, AND THE ESTABLISHED GAMBLING CORPORATIONS TESTIFIED BEFORE THE COMMISSION. THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GAMBLING, PARTICULARLY CASINO GAMBLING, ON THE TOURIST TRADE ARE DISCUSSED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES. CASINO GAMBLING WOULD BENEFIT THE TOURIST, HOTEL, AIRLINE, AND BUILDING INDUSTRIES ACCORDING TO PROPONENTS. OPPONENTS ARGUE THAT LEGALIZED CASINO GAMBLING WOULD DRIVE AWAY TOURIST TRADE IN THE STATE AND SUBMIT THAT VISITORS COME TO FLORIDA FOR THE CLEAN BEACHES, PLEASANT CLIMATE, AND BLUE WATER. REGULATION OF THE EXISTING GAMBLING OPERATIONS IN FLORIDA IS HANDLED BY THE FIVE-MEMBER BOARD OF BUSINESS REGULATION. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE BOARD ARE DESCRIBED. A DIVISION OF PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING ALSO EXISTS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS REGULATION. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS DIVISION DISCUSSED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THEIR ACTIVITY IN REGULATING GAMBLING. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HORSE BREEDING INDUSTRY AND THE JAI-ALAI GAMING CORPORATION DESCRIBED THE ADVANTAGES TO THE STATE OF RACING AND SPORTS. MEMBERS OF THE MIAMI STRIKE FORCE AND THE FLORIDA BUREAU OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION DISCUSSED SYNDICATE AND ORGANIZED CRIME OPERATIONS CONNECTED WITH GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN FLORIDA. ILLEGAL GAMBLING IN FLORIDA, OF WHICH NUMBERS, SPORTS, AND HORSE BOOKMAKING ARE THE MOST PREVALENT FORMS, IS CONSIDERED; ACTUAL CASES OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY ARE DISCUSSED. ONE WITNESS, AN ECONOMICS PROFESSOR FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, SUGGESTED THAT EXTENSIVE STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO DETERMINE EFFECTS OF PRIOR REGULATION, HEAVY TAXATION, RESTRICTED ENTRY, MULTIPLE LEVELS OF AUTHORITY, AND THE ABSENCE OF DIRECT CONSUMER CONSIDERATIONS. HE RECOMMENDS THAT SEVERAL STAFF AND POLICY CHANGES BE MADE TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PARIMUTUEL REGULATORY STRUCTURE. (DAG)