Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida's vice economy

Times have changed: Many activities that once carried a moral or even criminal taint now operate more like regulated businesses than criminal enterprises. For example, legal gambling has all but driven out illegal gambling. Other trends include: A host of ordinances is driving many strip clubs away from heavily traveled streets into industrial park-type settings. Meanwhile, some dancers are suing clubs for not paying them minimum wage.

At this special report from Florida Trend, you'll find an in-depth look at the economics of:

» Gambling
» Strip Clubs
» Prostitution
» Bootlegging

California may steal Florida’s orange-growing crown

It’s been a miserable few years for Florida’s orange crop. And now to add insult to injury, California is gearing up to steal the sunshine’s state crown as the king of U.S. citrus production. Most of the oranges grown in California are used for the fresh fruit market, while Florida’s fruit is generally used to make fresh juice. [Source: Bloomberg News]

See also:
» Sowing the seeds of hope for Florida citrus

Cabinet OKs land buy for bike trail across Central Florida

Gov. Rick Scott and the state Cabinet agreed to spend $1.08 million Wednesday for land that will help link to a bicycle and pedestrian trail planned to stretch across Central Florida, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the Tampa Bay Times.

FEMA investigating fraud in Hurricane Irma aid

The Federal Emergency Management Administration is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to investigate possible fraud in applications for rental assistance or lodging reimbursement stemming from Hurricane Irma. [Source: Miami Herald]

Why have food trucks become so popular?

Food trucks feature unique dishes that are sometimes hard to find at regular restaurants but that are popular among people in Florida. Items of the Venezuelan cuisine for example, are mostly found in touring food trucks. Food trucks also give diners the chance to interact with the chefs who regularly operate the trucks. [Source: Florida Daily Post]

Your turn:
» Do you like trying different cuisine from food trucks? (quick poll)

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› NBA, Orlando Magic raise esports industry profile with league [Orlando Sentinel]
Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier and their teammates won’t be the only ones trying to bring an NBA title to Orlando next year. The Magic are adding a team of professional video-game players to square off against counterparts backed by familiar franchises, such as the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics. See the team's press release and the logo of the new "Magic Gaming" NBA 2K league team, here.

› Flipping homes for big profits is getting harder in Tampa Bay [Tampa Bay Times]
Tampa Bay has seen two booms in house flipping — one in the mid 2000s, when prices appeared on a steadily upward trajectory and again from 2011 to 2014, when the market was flooded with cheap foreclosures. But as home prices return to pre-crash levels, it’s getting harder to make money on a flip.

› Tax increases would need two-thirds vote of Legislature under proposal [Palm Beach Post]
A measure that would require future tax or fee increases to be approved by two-thirds votes of the Legislature is ready for consideration by the state Constitution Revision Commission.

› At least one Miami leader is ‘optimistic’ about chances of landing Amazon HQ2 [Miami Herald]
As the CEO of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Michael Finney is paid to be optimistic. But he also has an outsider’s frame of reference. Before moving here, he traveled around the globe as an executive with a manufacturing company before moving into economic development.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Tampa airport ranks No. 4 for most affordable parking rates [Tampa Bay Times]
Holiday flight prices may be high, but parking rates at Tampa International Airport are a little more manageable. TIA has the fourth-cheapest parking rates in the country. Find out how other airport parking rates compare in  this report from TravelBank: "The cheapest - and most expensive - airport parking in America."

› Gatorland opens $2.2M expansion after record attendance [Orlando Sentinel]
A $2.2 million expansion at Gatorland, the largest since the park opened in 1949, officially opened to the public Wednesday. The South Orange Blossom Trail park held a groundbreaking ceremony to show off the Stompin’ Gator Off-Road Adventure.

› How the mayor of Miami-Dade might end up earning more than the mayor of New York [Miami Herald]
A proposal to give Miami-Dade’s mayor a raise would have Carlos Gimenez earning up to $324,000 a year, nearly 50 percent more than Bill de Blasio makes running NYC.

› Manatee County incentives program credited for attracting higher-wage jobs [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
When Manatee County launched its Economic Development Incentive Program in April 2009, the unemployment rate approached 12 percent and the local economy was sinking deeper into the recession. Today, unemployment is at about 3.2 percent and many businesses are hiring.