HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) - The Seminole Indian tribe's latest

agreement to operate blackjack in Florida has been approved by the

federal government, ending years of tense ambiguity.

The tribe has been operating card games since 2008 after signing

a compact with Gov. Charlie Crist, but the Florida Supreme Court

threw it out because it wasn't approved by the Legislature.

The games continued anyway, because the U.S. Department of the

Interior had already signed off on the deal and state officials had

no standing to shut them down.

The tribe, lawmakers and governor finally reached accord during

the recent session with an agreement guaranteeing the state $1

billion.

Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs approval became official after

publication Tuesday in the Federal Register.

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