Betting on Miami?

(This is a brief excerpt from an excellent investigative piece written about Genting Group and the attempts to bring casino gambling to Florida. For the full report click here to read the article written by Erik Bojnansky, senior writer for the Miami’s Biscayne Times.)

More than a year ago, executives from the Genting Group, a Malaysian-based multinational company headed by K.T. Lim that operates casinos in five countries, announced their plans to build a gigantic, $3 billion resort casino complex where the Miami Herald building now stands.

Designed by Arquitectonica, Resorts World Miami was to include 5200 hotel rooms, more than 1000 condominium units, 50-plus restaurants and bars, a rooftop lagoon, a sandy beach, and 700,000 square feet of convention space, and gambling areas – large enough to hold up to 8500 slot machines and other Las Vegas-style games.

Resorts World Miami is now in limbo, but it’s far from dead. In fact, Genting has already spent at least $503 million on the project, and may spend millions more even before major construction commences.

The vast majority of money … was used to buy 30 acres of land on both sides of Biscayne Boulevard near the Adrienne Arsht Center. Those properties include 14 acres of land, the Herald building, and the historic Boulevard Shops that Genting bought from McClatchy Newspapers for $236 million in May of last year.

Genting also purchased the largely vacant Omni Mall, its parking garage, and the adjoining 527-room Hilton Hotel. Price tag: around $215 million.

In an effort to legalize gambling at its future resort, Genting has also spent more than $1 million lobbying the state legislature and governor, according to state records. Among the 32 lobbyists Genting hired in Tallahassee are former congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart and school board member Carlos Curbelo. (Curbelo withdrew as a lobbyist this past June. Diaz-Balart did so in August.)

Another $2 million-plus was invested in campaign contributions to statewide committees, political parties, and legislative candidates.

In Miami-Dade County, Genting funneled $63,000 to countywide candidates and local political groups, including $10,000 to a committee set up by county Mayor Carlos Gimenez; $6000 to four incumbent county commissioners who faced challengers in the August primary election; and $2500 to five county judge candidates, four of whom challenged incumbents that same month.

Casino Money: Keeping It Local


Genting Group’s subsidiaries and employees have contributed at least $63,000 to political groups and candidates in Miami-Dade County. Below is a sampling of the total. The figures come from public records.

Republican Party of Miami-Dade: $30,000
Common Sense Now (supporting Mayor Carlos Gimenez): $10,000
Get It Done (supporting mayoral candidate Joe Martinez): $10,000
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez: $500
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro: $2000
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Jordan: $1500
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson: $1500
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dennis Moss: $1000
Candidate for county court judge Tanya Brinkley: $500
Candidate for county court judge Johnny Rodriguez: $500
Candidate for county court judge Michelle Alvarez Barakat: $500
Candidate for county court judge Frank Hernandez: $500
Candidate for county court judge Greer Elaine-Wallace: $500
Circuit Court Judge Antonio Arzola: $500
Circuit Court Judge Gisela Cardonne Ely: $500

Casino Money: Spreading It Around

Public records show that the Genting Group has given at least $2.3 million to numerous political committees and PACs, state political parties, and specific state politicians. Individuals affiliated with committees and PACs are shown in parentheses. This is a sampling, and includes only cash and in-kind contributions of $1000 or more.

New Jobs and Revenues for Florida: $936,500 (Funded entirely by the Genting Group)
Republican Party of Florida: $556,045
Florida Democratic Party: $310,916.76
Florida Conservative Action Committee: $60,000 (Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart)
Alliance for a Strong Economy: $45,000 (Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Sebring; Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Ft. Myers; Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton; Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne; Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart)
Florida Leadership Fund: $40,700 (Sen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg)
Citizens for an Enterprising Democracy: $31,000 (Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Fort Lauderdale; Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford)
Committee for a Prosperous Florida: $15,000 (Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate; Rep. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth)
Nature Coast Conservative Coalition: $15,000 (Sen. Charles Dean, R-Inverness)
Committee for a Prosperous Florida: $15,000 (Rep. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale)
Taxpayers for Integrity in Government: $15,000 (Rep. Joseph Abruzzo, D-Wellington; Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee)
Foundation for Conservative Values: $10,000 (Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami)
Citizens for Commons Sense: $10,000 (Rep. Daryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg)
Alliance for Better Representation: $7500 (Rep. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale)
Veterans for Conservative Principles: $5000 (Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami)
Protecting Leadership Principles: $5000 (Rep. Eddy Gonzalez, R-Hialeah)
Florida For Strong Families: $5000 (Rep. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando)
Common Sense in Florida: $1000 (Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando)
Choosing Right for Florida’s Economy: $5000 (Rep. Steve Precourt, R-Orlando)
Florida Freedom Fund: $5000 (Rep. Dorothy Hurkill, R-Port Orange)
Coalition for Conservative Leadership: $5000 (Venice accountant Eric Robinson)
Citizens for a Progressive Florida: $5000 (Sen. Nan Rich, D-Sunrise)
Floridians for Efficiency in Government: $2500 (Democratic fundraiser Benjamin Pollara)
The Future Is Now: $5000 (Miami City Commissioner Francis Suarez)
Initiative for Florida’s Future: $25,000 (Tallahassee attorney Mark Herron)
Alliance for Progressive Representation: $12,500 (Tallahassee lawyer Mark Herron)
The American People Committee, Inc: $5000 (Tallahassee political consultant Keyna Cory)
People in Need of Government Accountability: $10,000 (Tallahassee webmaster Pedro Buigas)
Protect Florida’s Economic Freedom: $25,000 (GOP fundraiser Nancy Powers)
Florida First: $4500 (GOP fundraiser Nancy Powers)
Conservative Leadership Coalition: $20,000 (Coral Gables political consultant José Riesco)
The Democracy Project, Inc: $5000 (Miami political consultant Keith Donner)
Citizens First: $20,000 (Genting lobbyist John French)
Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood: $2000
Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale: $1500
Sen. Jack Latvala, D-St. Petersburg: $1500
Rep. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami Shores: $1000
Rep. Ana Rivas Logan, D-Kendall: $1000
Rep. Joseph Abruzzo, D-Wellington: $1000