Miami Beach Votes No Gambling Expansion

MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) - Miami Beach commissioners do not want mega casinos in their city and they're will to put up a fight to keep them out.

In a unanimous vote on Wednesday, the commission passed a motion to oppose any expansion of gambling in South Florida and send a message to lawmakers in Tallahassee to shoot down a proposal that would allow mega destination resort casinos to be built in south Florida. City leaders added that they may hire a lawyer to fight against any proposed casino projects.

Protesters in Miami Beach voiced their anger for a second day, criticizing plans for a mega casino across the bridge in the city of Miami.

Millionaire Norman Braman is one of those against more casinos.

"This whole effort is an assault on the quality of life that we built in this community," said Braman.

"It makes no sense," said Phil Goldfarb, president of the Fontainebleau Hotel.

Goldfarb thinks a plan by the Malaysian casino giant Genting to building a destination resort casino in Miami is gambling on steroids. He said a plan calling for smaller casinos might work better.

"It just can't be one giant monstrosity that will suck the life out of Miami Beach," said Goldfarb.

But Braman says more gambling equals more problems.

"And you see it in every area. Whether it's embezzlement, whether it's burglary, whether it's rape, whether it's murder, that's what the statistics say," said Braman.