Only days after Florida Gov. Charlie Christ and the Seminole Tribe of Florida signed a 25-year pact to bring Class 3 gaming to the tribe's seven casinos, the Seminoles launch a media campaign touting the benefits of the compact to Florida.

"This is really an education effort. The tribe feels that the compact is a complex issue and wants to take it to the people of Florida to provide a better understanding of what it means," said Gary Bitner, a spokesman for the tribe.

The tribe also has set up a Web site, FairShareForFlorida.com, with information about the accord. The website refers to the agreement as "a compact of trust between the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida (that) means hundreds of millions of dollars for the state."

Christ and the Seminoles on Nov. 14th signed a 25-year pact to allow the tribe to operate Class 3 gaming -- including blackjack and baccarat card games -- at its seven casinos in return for giving the state a minimum of $100 million a year, and perhaps far more.

The deal gives the Seminoles the exclusive right to operate Class III, or Vegas-style, slot machines outside of the two big South Florida counties of Miami-Dade and Broward, as well as blackjack and baccarat.

The Seminoles, in return, will give Florida $50 million as soon as the federal government approves the compact;  $125 million in the second year the new games are in operation; and $150 million in the third year.

Every year thereafter, the Seminoles guarantee Florida a minimum payment of $100 million with the state promised a sliding percentage of the tribe's net revenue from gambling that could bring the annual payout to more than $500 million.