It could be a risky bet for the City of Jacksonville.
City Councilman Aaron Bowman filed legislation on Wednesday that could lead to slot machines soon at the bestbet poker room on Monument Road in Arlington.
If the ordinance is approved by the City Council, it would have the voters make the call in November, potentially adding another feature to what is already the state's largest poker room.
Bowman thinks having slots would be big for Jacksonville, especially in terms of job creation and attracting tourists.
"It will create a significant number of jobs," Bowman added. "There's a provision in [the ordinance] that the city gets 1.5% of gross receipts [from all slot machine gaming]."
Even if the referendum is approved, the slot machines might have to wait until the Florida Supreme Court rules on a Gadsden County case.
Arguments are scheduled for next month in Gretna Racing LLC vs. the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation's Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.
In that case, Gadsden County voters approved slot machines in a non-binding vote in January 2012, but the state still denied Gretna a permit, claiming that the only way slots can be authorized is through the Florida Legislature or a constitutional amendment.
It was through the latter route that Miami-Dade and Broward counties were allowed to have slot machines in 2004.
Federal law also allows slot machines through a facility owned by the Seminole Indians in Hillsborough County.
5 other counties in the state - Brevard, Hamilton, Lee, Palm Beach and Washington - are also waiting on the state Supreme Court to rule on the Gretna case after voters approved similar referendums.
