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South Florida civil society is dividing into two increasingly polar camps over the introduction of gambling-enabled “destination resorts” in the Miami-Dade and Broward area.

One group is in the favor of the new entrants, hoping their presence will rejuvenate the frozen economy and job market. Others are skeptical about the locals’ chances of getting any significant piece of the profits; not to mention the potential changes to the socio-cultural and business environment in the city. But, neither party can afford to deny the truth of the other’s arguments.

Casinos will Bring in Much Needed Income

There is no denying that things have slowly gotten better for residents in the Miami-Dade and Broward counties, with unemployment levels steadily dropping. But the state’s economy is still a long way away from a healthy, long-term prosperity.

Many of the jobs on offer continue to be seasonal in nature, making recurrent unemployment a potential problem. New job creation measures have failed to take off as expected by state planners and economists. Despite significant drops over the past couple of months, Florida’s unemployment rate (currently 10.6 percent) is still higher than that of the rest of America, which is around 9.1 percent at this point.

It is not surprising then that the Genting Group received such a warm welcome when they announced their plans to build three major gambling sites in South Florida in an effort to make it the new gaming mecca for well-heeled gambling enthusiasts from Europe and Latin America.

The proposed “destination resorts” (as the Genting Group lobbyists are billing these huge casinos) are going to be colossal in nature – mini-cities capable of catering to hundreds of thousands of well-to-do gaming enthusiasts and their families.

According to Genting’s America’s president Colin Au and the two representatives planning on sponsoring an omnibus pro-gambling bill in the 2012 session of the Florida Senate: Fort Lauderdale senator Ellyn Bogdanoff and Miami representative Erik Fressen, the millions of dollars worth projects will help put the stagnant economy back on track while, at the same time, creating more than 100,000 permanent new jobs for locals.

Locals Remain Skeptical

Despite the fabulous promises, and some massive PR work by lobbyists, they are likely to have a tough time pushing through the proposed project. Florida civil society has a definite anti-gambling record, having thrice rejected various pro-gambling bills. Also, a significant and powerful portion of the local population is already organizing against the planned development.

Key members of the opposition include the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Orlando’s attractions, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and the No Casinos group (that has started reforming in response to the bill). They cite solid reasons for being wary of the bill, including the chance of mega-casinos ruining Miami’s growing status as an international business center. They point out that despite the thriving tourist trade, only 11 percent of the population in Miami works in the hospitality industry. The rest of the area’s population may well experience job loss if hotels and resorts overtake other businesses in the city’s economy.

In short, battle lines are drawn in the Sunshine state as pro- and anti-gambling groups prepare to duke it out in early 2012.