As expected by opponents, Florida decoupling passes in House

Photo: The Florida Channel

As part of a bigger gambling bill, the decoupling proposal being pushed by The Stronach Group passed by a slightly more than two-thirds majority in the Florida House on Friday evening.

The 70-34 vote on House bill 1467 was anticipated widely by opponents of the plan. The bill would allow Gulfstream Park to separate its racing and slot-machine licenses, a maneuver that Thoroughbred stakeholders overwhelmingly believe would lead to the eventual end of racing in South Florida. It also would let Tampa Bay Downs split its less lucrative card-room business from its racing license.

After 38 minutes of debate that focused mostly on the decoupling provisions, Republicans voted 70-6 in favor of the Stronach position. All 28 Democrats who voted were in opposition. 

The outcome was widely anticipated by opponents of decoupling who have been steadfast in their belief that the plan will die in the state Senate. Even if it were to get that far, Florida governor Ron DeSantis last week signaled his intent to veto any legislation that was unkind to racing.

“We will continue to rely on our friends in the Senate and governor Ron DeSantis and hope that this bill goes no further in the final week of the legislative session,” said Damon Thayer, the former Kentucky senator who is working with the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative to kill decoupling.

The core of the legislation approved by the House on Friday would establish new standards for enforcement of gambling laws in Florida, including tighter criminal penalties for illegal gaming. It also would open the door for daily fantasy sports to come into the state.

Decoupling became an amendment to the bill this month, and it was approved a second time by the House Commerce committee. As currently written, racing would have to continue a minimum of five more years before the licenses could be split.

“A Thoroughbred permit holder who operates a slot-machine facility or cardroom shall offer a full schedule of live racing until such permit holder notifies the (Florida Gaming) Commission that it will no longer offer live racing,” the House-approved bill says. “Notice under this sub-paragraph is not valid unless it is delivered on or after July 1, 2027, and contains the date on which the permit holder will no longer offer live racing, which may not be earlier than three years after the date of the notice.”

The amended proposal that passed in the House was sent to the Senate, which already has bill 1404 as companion legislation. That version has not been amended to included decoupling. It is possible that it could be approved as is on the floor next week, but that still would require a conference committee to hammer out differences, most notably the fact that decoupling would be in one version and not in the other.

DeSantis was at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales auction last week when he said he was against any plan that could be counterproductive for Florida’s Thoroughbred racing and breeding.

“On this issue with the horses, it seems to me they’re proposals that have the effect of harming the industry here in Florida to basically benefit one special interest,” DeSantis said, referring to The Stronach Group. “That’s not how you do good policy.”

The 70-34 margin with 15 House members not voting Friday was noteworthy in the event DeSantis were to veto decoupling. The legislature could override a veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. The ayes had 67.3% of the vote, 0.6% more than two-thirds.

Florida finishes its legislative session next Friday.