"If you want to limit gambling, limit it to the Seminole reservations and get paid in the process."

The Seminole Tribe wanted roulette and craps, and the chance to build multiple casinos on some of its reservations. The state wanted to limit games to slots but get smoking bans and millions of dollars up front.

Neither side got all that it bargained for in the agreement signed Nov. 14 between Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminole Tribe of Florida and forged after decades of distrust.

In exclusive interviews with The Miami Herald, the key negotiators for the tribe and the Republican governor discussed the behind-the- scenes crafting of the compact they compare to a treaty between nations. Read more