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State lawmakers are reviewing a new gaming deal to expand gambling at Seminole casinos. The new deal would bring in 7 billion dollars for education over the next 20 years. As Whitney Ray tells us, schools have hit the jackpot but they won’t collect unless lawmakers, upset over what was left out of the deal, give the go ahead.

Whether or not lawmakers will approve the new gaming deal is anybody’s guess. Lawmakers wanted Black Jack limited to four casinos. The governor agreed to seven. Lawmakers wanted the gaming deal to last just 15 years. The governor agreed to 20. Lawmakers wanted the option to expand gambling elsewhere in Florida. The governor gave the tribe exclusivity.

That could be a problem because state lawmakers still have to sign off on the deal. The state legislature is expected to hold a special session in October. Governor Charlie Crist said if lawmakers don’t accept the deal the state could lose billions.

“My concern, if we don’t, that the legislature doesn’t, is that the federal government will allow them to do it anyway and we won’t get a dime of the money,” said Crist.

But if the legislature does approve the deal Florida schools will get seven billion dollars over the course of the agreement.

“In this state we are well below the national average and we’ve experienced cuts four times over the last couple of years so we need to recapture money best we can,” said FEA Spokesman Mark Pudlow.

Crist and the Seminole Tribe are betting on the boost to education funding to gain legislative approval.