To no one’s surprise, Gov. Charlie Crist signed SB 788, the massive expansion of gambling passed by the Legislature on the last day of its extended session in May. The governor is now empowered to negotiate a deal with the Seminole Indian Tribe by Aug. 31, 2009, which will have to be ratified by the Legislature.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—An expansion of gambling pro-family leaders deem “predatory” easily passed May 8 as the Florida Legislature concluded its extended annual session.

Try looking in the mirror—you might just see one of the persons most responsible for the fact that the Sunshine State is about to experience a gambling expansion of historical proportions.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Pro-family leaders, joined by two former legislative leaders, decried “predatory” gambling under consideration in the Florida Legislature and urged legislators to reject as “fool’s gold” gambling expansion to balance the state budget in a March 27 news conference.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Casino-style gambling under consideration by the Florida Legislature to balance the state budget actually creates more governmental costs than tax benefits an expert in gambling economics told a House panel March 27.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley on Feb. 12 urged a committee studying the governor’s invalidated gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe to resist gambling expansion to ease the state’s financial pain at the expense of “increasingly deseperate” citizens.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Rep. Larry Cretul, R-Ocala laughs at the suggestion of some that he is the “accidental speaker” of the Florida House, although he will take that high office only because of the unexpected departure of Speaker Ray Sansom.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Ratcheting up its public relations effort to seek approval of an agreement with Gov. Charlie Crist invalidated by the Florida Supreme Court last year, the Seminole Indian Tribe told legislators Feb. 2 the compact could provide the state with billions of dollars in economic development and $288 million for the 2009-2010 budget.

UPDATED: 9:45 a.m., Feb. 6

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Ratcheting up its public relations effort to seek approval of an agreement with Gov. Charlie Crist invalidated by the Florida Supreme Court last year, the Seminole Indian Tribe told legislators Feb. 2 the compact could provide the state with billions of dollars in economic development and $288 million for the 2009-2010 budget.

While the governor doesn’t seem to care about illegal gambling in our state, it seems the attorney general does. For that, Bill McCollum deserves the gratitude and support of Florida Baptists.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—The Florida Supreme Court unanimously overturned an agreement between Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminole Indian Tribe allowing expanded gambling at its casinos, siding with House Speaker Marco Rubio in the July 3 ruling.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Supreme Court has unanimously overturned an agreement between Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminole Indian Tribe allowing expanded gambling at its casinos, siding with Speaker Marco Rubio in the July 3 ruling.

MIAMI (FBW)—If the Sunshine State had a mission statement it should be “Florida is a family-friendly, wholesome, prosperous place” and “gambling doesn’t have a part in that,” former Gov. Jeb Bush told Florida Baptist Witness in an exclusive interview.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—A gambling boom has come to the Sunshine State—starting in 2004 and escalating in the last year—with proponents promising economic development and new government revenues in a time of shrinking tax collections resulting from an uncertain economy.

WEST PALM BEACH (FBW)—Looking into her eight-year old daughter’s brown eyes, Elisa stumbled for the words to answer why her little girl’s daddy doesn’t live with them anymore.

The only direct reference to gambling activity in the Bible occurs in the Gospel accounts of the Roman soldiers casting lots for possession of the garments of Jesus (Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24). Although the Bible lacks a direct commandment against gambling, Scripture does express a negative view of activities associated with gambling. Moral and ethical principles derived from the biblical text reveal that gambling contradicts God’s standards.

La única referencia directa sobre el juego de azar que aparece en la Biblia se encuentra en el relato de los evangelios, cuando los soldados romanos echaron suertes para quedarse con las vestimentas de Jesús (Mateo 27:35; Marcos 15:24; Lucas 23:34; Juan 19:24). Aunque en la Biblia no aparece un mandamiento directo contra el juego, las Escrituras expresan un punto de vista negativo hacia las actividades asociadas con el mismo. Principios éticos y morales sacados del texto bíblico revelan que el juego contradice el designio de Dios.