IMMOKALEE, Fla. The biggest expansion in gambling in several years is coming to southwest Florida on Monday. <\/p>\n
The Seminole Tribe of Florida will usher in a new era of gambling at its casinos, including the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee, with craps, roulette, and retail sports betting. <\/p>\n
While the quiet streets of Immokalee would never be confused with the bright lights of the Vegas strip, does the expansion of gambling give this Collier County community a chance to cash in? <\/p>\n
This certainly will help the Seminoles, said Bob Jarvis, a law professor and gambling expert at Nova Southeastern University. <\/p>\n
This does not mean that Florida is now in league with Las Vegas or Macao (China), or other places people think of when they think of gambling, Jarvis said. <\/p>\n
Thats because even with the expanded gambling, options remain limited. <\/p>\n
The Seminoles operate six casinos in various parts of the state, while other gambling hubs feature multiple casinos on the same street. <\/p>\n
This week, the Seminoles Hard Rock Bet app, which allows mobile sports betting anywhere in the Sunshine State, opened to all customers. <\/p>\n
Gambling attorney Daniel Wallach believes year-round sunshine and beaches, with the addition to mobile sports betting, could help drive tourism. <\/p>\n
I think there is something to be said about giving sports gamblers a choice, Wallach said. <\/p>\n
According to Las Vegas tourism officials, every year around 300,000 people travel to Sin City to gamble during Super Bowl weekend, regardless of where the game is being played. <\/p>\n
You can peel off some of those 300,000 visitors, divert them to Florida because we have warm weather, hundreds of miles of pristine beaches. It makes a big difference in a cold weather month, said Wallach. <\/p>\n
Its not clear what kind of impact locals are expecting. <\/p>\n
The Collier County tourism board told Fox 4 they havent made any estimates on how the expanded gambling could impact the area. <\/p>\n
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HIT THE JACKPOT: Could Immokalee cash in on expanding gambling? - FOX 4 News Fort Myers WFTX<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IMMOKALEE, Fla. Continue reading