Florida to Use Money from Gambling to Fund Environmental Projects

A number of wildlife and environmental projects are going to benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars in Florida, thanks to recently approved bills. The bills in the state’s Senate and House, feature similar text and recently secured approval by the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee and the House Infrastructure Strategies Committee. This approval paves the way for the two proposals that call to provide funding for a number of environmental projects by using proceeds collected from gambling.

Senate Bill 1638 and its counterpart in the House, House Bill 1417 are both labeled “Funding for Environmental Resource Management.” The bills propose gaming revenues collected via Florida’s gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe to benefit land management activities. The list includes the initiatives that will focus on environmental projects such as wildlife corridor agreements. Moreover, per the proposals, money would be dedicated toward the state’s water quality improvement program.

Under the proposed bills, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be able to enter into agreements with private landowners for wildlife corridors and different environmental services. The aforementioned proposals echo and ongoing goal for Kathleen Passidomo, Florida’s Senate president, who has previously shown support for preserving wildlife and the land, while at the same time protecting endangered animal species.

Sen. Travis Hutson, the sponsor of the Senate bill, who was recently cited by the Tampa Bay Times spoke about the importance of the bills for the state, adding that this topic was addressed a number of times by Passidomo. “I’m honored to carry it for her and it is something that I know she’s put her heart and soul into,” added Hutson.

The State Anticipates Significant Proceeds from Gambling

The announced proposals come in the context of Florida expecting significant proceeds from gambling under its compact with the Seminole Tribe. Upon agreeing on the compact back in 2021, the tribe promised proceeds for the state to hit $2.5 billion within the first five years. Yet, the process was impacted by lawsuits that challenged whether the Seminole Tribe was able to offer statewide sports betting.

After a decision of the US Supreme Court, the legal saga unraveled somewhat, considering that the tribe was allowed to relaunch its sportsbook platform, Hard Rock Bet. The relaunch was completed back in December, allowing gamblers in the state to access a wide range of sports betting options.

Elsewhere in Florida, one person was lucky enough to hit a $36 million Mega Millions jackpot. Regretfully, the jackpot remained unclaimed after the 180-day deadline for prize collection. Considering the jackpot was left unclaimed, the money will be separated between the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund and the lottery prize pool.