In South Florida, the city of Doral is home to a nice community with plenty of businesses, including a golf resort owned by Donald Trump. Recent legal changes to the gambling industry have possibly opened up the door for Trump to provide gambling within his golf resort, and the city is not having it. Officials on the Doral City Council voted unanimously in favor of banning gambling inside the city limits. The hope is to shut down Trump National Doral Miami from any casino plans.
Run by Trump’s son Eric, the Doral Miami is a golf resort that has been struggling financially for quite some time, especially during the pandemic. With casino gaming, it would be a way for the property to bring in new revenues.
Back in March, Eric Trump spoke with the Washington Post, stating that he hoped to use the property to provide casino gaming to increase revenues. By April, Governor Ron DeSantis had signed a new compact with the Seminole Tribe, opening the door for Eric’s plan to become a reality.
The new compact legalizes sports betting and expands gambling at casinos operated by the tribe. If federal approval is provided, the compact becomes law. In the language of the deal, the Tribe gave away its rights to oppose any gambling license to a property that is located over 15 miles from a casino owned by the Seminoles.
The Doral Miami is just barely over this mark. The tribe would be unable to stop Trump from adding casino games to the facility. So, the city officials decided to step in instead. Some feel that the 15-mile mark exclusion was put in place so that the Trump family could add casino gaming to the property. Governor DeSantis has always been a strong supporter of Trump, and this would be one way he could be in his good graces.
For now, any effort to bring casino gaming to Doral would be stopped by the city ban. A referendum would have to take place and voters approve the option before any casino gaming could take place in the state.
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