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The Seminole Indian Tribe and related businesses made $720,000 in political contributions in 2008—more than their giving in the previous 10 years combined and three times as much as that given in the 2006 election cycle.

Is it merely coincidental the previously gambling-expansion-skeptical Florida House of Representatives saw things differently during the 2009 legislative session and approved a gambling compact with the Seminoles resulting in the largest expansion of gambling in the history of the state?

Please.

The ugly truth of the influence of money in politics and the public policy process is painfully evident in a recent report issued by the National Institute on Money in State Politics.

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The Institute, located in Helena, Mont., is a “nonprofit, nonpartisan” organization that “collects and analyzes campaign contribution information for state-level candidates, political party committees, and ballot committees,” according to a June 24 news release issued.

The report, “Donors Double Down in Gaming Debate” (available on the Institute’s Web site, www.FollowTheMoney.org), simply reports the raw data of political contributions from the gambling industry—both the Seminoles and the state’s pari-mutuel industries, data every Florida citizen should be aware of when considering how they cast their votes in next election cycle.

According to the Institute, the Seminole Tribe and its affiliated businesses gave 97 percent of its contributions to the Republican ($544,733) and Democratic ($152,000) political parties.

The Seminoles also gave $500 each to 35 representatives (24 voted for the compact) and nine senators (eight voted for the compact).

But, it’s not just the Seminoles’ gambling money that influences Tallahassee. The long-standing pari-mutuel industry also continues to spread its money around in the state Capitol.

The Institute reports, “Although gaming contributions are substantially higher than in the early part of the decade,” the pari-mutuels’ contributions increase is not as dramatic as the tribal contributions.

“In total, companies involved with gaming and racing gave $3 million to legislative candidates and party committees in 2008. Florida ranked sixth in the nation for gaming contributions,” the Institute’s report notes.

Who are the biggest takers of non-tribal gambling money in the Florida Legislature? According to the National Institute, the top ten recipients of non-Seminole gambling money were:

1. Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantero, R-Miami, $15,500
2. Sen. Charles Dean, R-Inverness, $11,250
3. Sen. Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, $10,285
4. Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, $10,250
5. Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Seminole, $9,500
6. Sen. Dave Aaronberg, D-Greenacres, $9,250
7. Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, $8,500
8. Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Daytona Beach, $8,250
9. Sen. Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, $8,000
10. Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, $7,000

These top ten recipients accounted for nearly $100,000, or 29 percent of the gambling money given to 141 candidates, according to the Institute. Among these 10 are some of the leaders of the Legislature—House Majority Whip, Carlos Lopez-Cantero; Senate President, Jeff Atwater; Senate President Pro Tempore, Mike Fasano, to say nothing of the committee chairs, and those among this list who are now candidates for other political offices.

“Gaming interests gave 89 percent of their contributions to the state party committees: $2 million to Republicans and slightly less than $700,000 to Democrats,” according to the Institute.

Interestingly, the Institute notes, “The legislators who voted yes [on the compact legislation] received an average of $3,147 from the gaming industry, almost twice the amount received by those voting no.”

Of course, there are many factors—not the least of which was the state’s fiscal woes—that played a role in the reversal of fortunes for the gambling industry in this year’s Legislature, a reversal clearly in the making for several years detectable by any careful observer of Tallahassee.

Nevertheless, no one can seriously doubt the dramatic increase in Seminole political contributions and increased contributions from the state’s other gambling enterprises influenced the outcome of this year’s gambling expansion.

The gambling expansion approved on the last day of the extended legislative session this year was signed by Gov. Charlie Crist on June 15. Crist is currently negotiating with the Seminole Tribe, which must approve the new gambling compact authorized by the legislation. The governor and Seminoles must reach a deal by Aug. 31, under the stipulations of the legislation, which promises to generate $150 million revenue per year for the state’s coffers.

(For more details on the compact/gambling expansion legislation, see our coverage of the 2009 legislative session.))

As the governor—who is largely responsible for the gambling expansion—and his advisors negotiate with the Seminoles, they ought to be considering how gambling is harming Floridians.

Several recent news accounts illustrate the human tragedy that is growing in our state as gambling expands.

According to a July 17 South Florida Sun-Sentinel story, the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling has experienced a five percent increase in inquires in the last year and 46 percent more than in 2005-2006. The Miami Herald reported June 27 that callers to the Council’s hotline have gambling debts averaging $62,495—54 percent more than two years ago.

Clearly, the state’s sour economy has played a role in these troubling statistics, but it cannot be doubted that so has the expansion. Nor can it be doubted that these statistics will grow even more grim in coming years if the governor can reach a deal with the Seminoles.

The Herald told the story of one gambling addict who moved to South Florida nine years ago, fleeing the gambling addiction that had ruined his life while living in Chicago. After the real estate crash, he turned back to gambling and now has nearly $2 million in gambling debts.

“He reached into his wallet, and flipped past ‘Player’s Club’ customer loyalty cards to pluck out the new card he uses these days: A food stamp benefits card,” the Herald reported.

Stories like these—while extreme—make the gambling industry’s influence in Tallahassee all that more troubling. And, they demonstrate the need for citizens who oppose gambling in our state to make their views known to elected officials, both in the coming legislative session and during the next election cycle.