Tribe, Disney ante up for gambling amendment

Gearing up for the November election, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. contributed $700,000 in February to a proposed constitutional amendment that could make it harder to expand gambling in the state.

The tribe and Disney have largely bankrolled the political committee “Voters In Charge,” which spearheaded efforts to get the constitutional amendment on the ballot.

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The tribe, which operates casinos that are a major player in the state’s gambling industry, contributed $500,000 in February, while Disney contributed $200,000 --- all of the cash received during the month by Voters In Charge, according to a finance report posted Monday on the state Division of Elections website.

The committee also spent nearly $560,000 during the month, with $500,000 going to Maryland-based SRH Media, Inc. for advertising.

The ballot proposal, if approved in November, would change the Florida Constitution and give voters the "exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling" in the state.

It would require voter approval of casino-style games in the future.

The proposal will appear on the ballot as Amendment 3.