The 45-day period that the U.S. Interior Department has to approve or reject the compact Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed with the Florida Seminoles to allow Class III gaming at the tribe's seven Florida casinos will lapse on Dec. 28th with no federal action, according to an Interior Department spokesperson.

"The compact is still under review by the department," spokesperson Gary Garrison told Florida Casino Report on Dec. 28th.

If the Interior Department takes no action by the end of the 45th day after it is signed, which is today, the compact is automatically "deemed" approved under federal law.

However, that does not mean that the Seminoles will be free to ring in the New Year with Class III slots, blackjack and baccarat -- as called for in the compact -- at any of their casinos.

Compacts do not actually take effect until the Interior Department approval is published in the Federal Register, and an Interior Department source said his impression was that the Department was not about to to publish the required notice anytime soon.

There is no time limit on how long the Department has to publish the notice of approval, and an explanation for the delay may lie in the desire of the Bush Administration to not get entangled anew with the Florida Supreme Court.

The speaker of the Florida House, Marco Rubio, has filed a lawsuit with the State Supreme Court challenging the validity of the the Governor's decision to enter into the casino compact with the Seminoles -- under which the state is to get at least $100 million per year -- without seeking approval of the Legislature.

The Supreme Court has postponed oral arguments on a the suit until Jan. 30th.

Florida Atty. Gen. Bill McCollum also has expressed concern the compact might be approved by the Interior Department enabling the Seminoles to introduce Class III gaming before that date, and he sought a preliminary injunction in federal court barring the pact from taking effect until the State Supreme Court rules in the case.