Officials seek slot machines at Miami airport
MIAMI (AP) – Miami-Dade officials are proceeding with a plan to install slot machines at the airport.
Commissioners voted Tuesday to apply for a permit, despite staunch opposition from local casinos and race tracks and the long odds it would be approved in Tallahassee.
They want gaming proceeds to repay debt that funded an airport expansion.
The vote was actually for a permit to race quarter horses, though officials don’t ever intend to run ponies at Miami International Airport. That permit alone enables a possible slot license – though it’s a loophole legislators vow to close.
Local casinos say it would devastate their already-struggling businesses.
Only ticketed passengers would have access to the machines, which commissioners say protects them from competing for customers.