DAVIE – The 2021 gaming compact the State of Florida signed with the Seminole Tribe gave the Tribe full control over sports betting in the Sunshine State. In exchange, the state would get money from the proceeds, but that money was not tied to anything specifically.

That changed on Thursday when Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that ties $750 million a year to the environment. That includes money for removal of invasive species, restoring old water infrastructure, research funding, and improving wetlands and water quality.

“Among Florida’s greatest assets are its natural resources,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This revenue stream will further enhance our efforts to conserve our natural resources, protect our waterways, and make our ecological infrastructure more resilient.”

Desantis said there are two thousand miles of canals, from Lake Okeechobee down to the Florida Keys, that this money will help restore. He said it’s one of the largest water systems in the entire world, but most of it was built in the middle of last century and needs upgrades and repairs.

The South Florida Water Management District will receive $150 million for necessary repairs and upgrades to the Central and South Florida Water Management System and to conduct a study of the health of Lake Okeechobee in conjunction with the Florida Gulf Coast University Water School.