A spokesperson for the Seminole Tribe of Florida has suggested it will be at least the summer of 2008 before Class III slot machines will be operating in the tribe's seven Florida casinos.

The Seminoles have reached a compact with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist that would give the tribe Class III slots as well as blackjack and baccarat in return for tribal payments to the state that would exceed $100 million annually.

But a lawsuit already has been filed by the Florida House and others to block the compact, and the U.S. Department of the Interior has until Dec. 29 to approve or reject Crist's agreement with the Seminoles.

While approval by the federal government is expected, the Seminoles will wait until they have the federal government's okay before ordering the new Class III slot machines, according to Seminole leader Jim Shore, the tribe's general counsel.

''We're not going to be ready to put in the machines the next week,'' he said. "That's going to take some lead time -- maybe six or seven months.''

There was no indication whether the tribe hoped to get Class III table games -- blackjack and baccarat -- started prior to summer.