Disney has contributed $2.3 million to a political action committee that is pushing to give voters the chance to restrict gambling in Florida.
Disney Worldwide Services recently contributed $575,000 to Voters in Charge, according to the state’s Division of Elections website. The PAC is collecting petition signatures to try to get the gambling issue on the November 2018 ballot.
Disney has been giving the PAC huge monthly installments, including $600,000 and another half million the month before that. The theme park giant gave $400,000 in June and another $250,000 in April, for a total of $2.3 million – that’s a lot of theme park tickets.
The initiative would “give Florida voters, not politicians, the right to approve or disapprove casino gambling,” according the Voters in Charge Facebook page.
The tourism powerhouse has been a long time, vocal opponent of allowing Las Vegas-style casinos in the state.
“We oppose the legalization of so-called destination resort casinos because this major expansion of gambling is inconsistent with Florida’s reputation as a family-friendly destination,” Disney spokesowman Andrea Finger told the New York Times in a 2013 article.
The proposed constitutional amendment would give voters the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling. It would require voter approval of casino-style games in the future.
Voters in Charge needs 766,200 voter signatures to be included on the 2018 ballot. The group has collected 287,203 valid signatures, according to the Florida Division of Elections website.