As most Februarys go in Jackie Gleason’s Sun and Fun capital of the world, thoughts turn to guessing which bronzed celebs will be spotted at which hotspot on South Beach.

Perhaps we’ll think which superstar jockeys and trainers will abandon California and New York for the balmy breezes at Gulfstream Park, or how many NBA games will the Heat win for Jimmy Buffett, Pat Riley and Mickey Arison.

Maybe we will even wonder which mega chefs are presenting at the annual South Beach Food and Wine Fest.

There’s precious little water cooler chat about the Miami Dolphins and their new coach or the "new" Marlins and their space ship domed stadium downtown. There’s even less talk on the tourist driven economic engines upcoming at Doral and Sony Ericsson or even Wrestlemania on April Fool’s day.

But this year there’s yet another beachhead: The sounds and furies of political warfare as the GOP presidential pretenders descend upon Florida’s vote rich counties and occupy nearly every waking minute of TV commercial time – bumping the ads of pari-mutuels, racinos and Indian gaming.

Never mind the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Miami International Boat Show or Las Olas Street Fest. Ditto the oppressive media coverage with hand shaking Mitt Romney in St. Pete; café cubano drinking Newt Gingrich in Little Havana; photo ops for Rick Santorum in the Everglades, Ron Paul at Spring Break in Panama City and the rest around the state at Disney World, Busch Gardens, Daytona 500 and more.

All this while the Florida legislature continues to maneuver a huge gaming bill slogging down the hallowed halls of Tallahassee.

As the Senate bill sponsored by State Senator, Ellyn Bogdanoff continues to survive early committee tests, more special interest lobbyists swarm. The similar House bill sponsored by Rep. Erik Fresen is not moving at all.

Amendments are being added and subtracted to try to coddle favor with various special interests: Will they permit three (or more) mega casino resorts? If so, where? Will the existing South Florida pari-mutuel racinos get parity on tax relief (from 35% to 10%)? Will table games excepting poker be allowed at the race tracks?

Will the Indian gaming casinos escape from their compact stipulating a $250 million "annual fee" if gaming expands? Will the racetracks around the state be allowed voter referenda to permit slots? And, perhaps the most important: Will there be a State Gaming Commission?

Early speculation suggests that extending the existing racinos, the tax relief and adding table games to "compete" with the proposed mega resorts and Indian casinos will fall short except for the creation of a bonafide gaming commission in the fourth largest gaming state in the country:

Unlike Nevada, New Jersey, and now proposed in New York, Florida leaves the policing of its racinos to the same bureaucrats who regulate and police the horse, dog and jai alai facilities. The wildly successful Florida lottery is ruled and regulated by yet another government authority.

A strong gaming authority is sadly lacking and desperately needed; but if history repeats itself, the agency probably won’t be legislated until the first major casino/racino scandal. After all, it is Florida.

On a side note: The two big league jai alai frontons that remain active: Miami and Dania are both eligible to add slots as is storied Hialeah Race Track. Thus far Miami Jai Alai has encountered problems with attaining state approval of the renovated facility.

Dania’s investor group that purchased the fronton from Boyd Gaming has apparently fallen apart. Both Frontons continue to mount jai alai games daily, but with minimal public interest and support.

John Brunetti, who owns Hialeah Race Track, is running a short 42 day quarter horse meet to comply with the current law to add a card room. Word on the streets is that little has been done to renovate the property for slots due to continuing legal obstacles.

To add fuel to the fire, an investor group has built a barrel racing facility in north Florida to gain a card room and slot permit and another group wants to build a new jai alai fronton in suburban Weston for the same ultimate reasons. With 17 dormant pari-mutuel permits now in the state, a free for all could ensue without some significant government authority.

Where are you Andrew Cuomo?

(article c/o Baird Thompson and William Hutchinson —Thompson/Hutchinson & Associates, Miami. www.casinodoctors.com)