Anti-casino group staked with $195K

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

An anti-gambling political committee received an infusion of $195,000 last month as it considers pursuing a ballot initiative about casinos in Florida, according to a newly filed finance report. The committee, dubbed "Voters in Charge," began raising money last month and received the $195,000 on Oct. 23 from the non-profit group No Casinos Inc. The committee and No Casinos are headed by longtime gambling opponent John Sowinski. Voters in Charge announced in October it had started a petition-gathering process, with an eye on getting a proposal on the 2018 ballot. If approved, the "Voter Control of Gambling" constitutional amendment would require future statewide votes to authorize casino-style games including blackjack, craps and roulette. The amendment would take away the Legislature's ability to approve casinos in Florida but would not affect tribal casino operations, which are regulated by federal law. But whether or not Voters in Charge intends to pursue a ballot initiative ultimately rests with a Supreme Court decision in a case about slot machines at a pari-mutuel facility in Gadsden County, Sowinkski said at the time of the announcement. The new finance report indicates Voters in Charge had not spent any money as Oct. 31. It also has not submitted any valid petition signatures to the state Division of Elections, according to the division's website.