Miami Beach: Casino Gambling Not Welcome

MIAMI BEACH, FL — Having already seen the hand of Florida state legislators, Miami Beach Commissioners called a special meeting on Wednesday to shuffle the political deck for those who might try to bring casino gambling into this urban resort town. Officials rolled out a united front to show Tallahassee that the gaming industry is not welcome. But officials also hedged their bets by initiating a change in city zoning that would shut down any gambling applications before casinos have a chance to change their luck.

"There is no secret about my opposition to casino gambling in the city of Miami beach," explained Mayor Philip Levine at the start of the special meeting. "I’m someone that believes casinos are for cities that don’t have a lot going for them. There are cities that need casinos. I think the city of Miami Beach is a city that has become a cultural capital and a city that doesn’t in any shape, form or imagination need casinos in our city."(Sign up for our free Daily Newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Miami Beach Patch.)

Commissioner Ricky Arriola added that while he is personally opposed to gaming in Miami Beach, he hasn't run across any significant appetite for it among residents either.

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"No one has approached me since I’ve been in office, saying 'please bring a casino.' This is all manufactured by the casino industry and in Tallahassee. They’re trying to put something here that we don’t want and trying to manufacture demand that doesn’t exist in our beach."

City officials were reacting to an initiative within the Florida legislature that they feared would have led to at least one new casino in Miami-Dade County.

"I think it’s really important for you all to understand how close we just came to having casinos in our backyard," explained Dan Gelber, who chairs the South Florida No Casinos organization and is a mayoral candidate in Miami Beach.

"The Florida legislature had agreed there was going to be one or two casinos in our backyard without us even having a moment to weigh in, in any way, the most non-transparent process you could imagine. They were going to tell us that there was going to be a casino here and possibly somewhere else. Two casinos or one — that was the only debate that was going on when that bill died."

Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco, who is running against Gelber, told the small audience that this is one issue on which both candidates can agree.

"We’re very lucky that we have a consistently successful tourism industry," Grieco asserted. "We don’t need this. There may be a time when we need help, but casinos is not the answer. That’s what the convention center is for. One of the reasons we’re making a strategic investment in the convention center is to be there for us as a supplement to the tourism industry that is already successful."

At the conclusion of the special meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to initiate a change in city zoning that would ban casino gaming from all areas of the city. Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, who recently launched a bid for the congressional seat held by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, did not attend Wednesday's meeting.

While all of the elected officials present for the meeting said they strongly oppose casino gaming in Miami Beach, an attorney representing The Fontainebleau Hotel urged them to consider performing an economic impact study before proceeding with the zoning change.

"Obviously we know where the will of the commission is, and we are very respectful of that, and we thank you for your time," urged Alexander Heckler on behalf of the iconic hotel, which is also one of the city's largest employers. "We would ask that you ask your staff, or consult to do a study, to determine what happens if there’s gaming on the other side of the causeway and there’s not gaming here. Or, if you have a small boutique casino here and nothing on the other side of the causeway."

Auto dealership magnate Norman Braman, who helped bring Art Basel to Miami Beach, said that there was a good chance the city would lose the show if casino gambling ever comes to town.

"I believe the future of Miami beach as the host of Art Basel would be placed in serious jeopardy if gaming reaches our community," penned Braman in a letter. "We need to be cognizant of all the problems gambling would represent.

Watch as Miami Beach Commissioners discuss casino gambling at a special meeting:

Photo of Mayor Philip Levine by Paul Scicchitano. Video courtesy city of Miami Beach.