Florida's other Indian casino, Miccosukee Resort & Gaming located a half hour west of Miami along the southeastern edge of the Florida Everglades, apparently has decided not to try to expand the games it can offer until the current bid by the Seminoles to offer Class III gaming at their seven casinos is settled by the courts.

Like the Seminoles, the Miccosukee Tribe currently is limited to Class II bingo-style gaming machines, and the tribe would clearly like to offer the full array of Class III slots and table games at its casino.

But the Miccosukees on Jan. 9th asked that talks with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the U.S. Interior Department be deferred indefinitely "due to various ongoing legal developments" -- presumably a reference to the pending lawsuit seeking to block the compact the Seminoles entered into with Crist in November.

The Seminole compact, which would allow the tribe to offer Class III slots, blackjack and baccarat at its casinos in exchange for payments to Florida of at least $100 million annually, has been challenged by Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio.

Rubio filed a suit with the Florida Supreme Court contending that Crist did not have authority to make the deal without legislative approval. Oral arguments are currently set for Jan. 30th.

In April 2006, after Broward County voters approved installation of slot machines at four pari-mutuels in that county, the Miccosukees renewed a long-dormant request for Class III games, and Interior Department officials in November notified Crist they intended to set up a conference call with the tribe to discuss this.

But now, the talks are on hold. The Miccosukees said only that they were asking that negotiations be deferred "until such time as the tribe (or any other party) requests further action.''