The dog track's new owner, Penn National Gaming, wants to open card rooms at the facility on Dog Track Road. The city council was planning to vote Monday night on a proposal to send ask Seminole County to draft a referendum on the plan, putting it to a public vote sometime in the future.

But over the weekend, the company notified Longwood's Mayor that they were dropping the request, saying they did not want to wait a year or longer for a vote.

The expanded gambling was designed to be part of a redevelopment of Dog Track Road into a sort of new downtown for Longwood. The Kennel was offering to trade some land to the city for permission to hold poker games.

Penn National Gaming officials told WDBO thay want to sit down with community and business leaders to discuss how expanded gaming can benefit the entire area. Poker remains a priority, as the racing industry is hurting nationwide.

Of the 25 parimutuel gaming sites in Florida, only two do not offer poker or other kinds of gaming, in addition to racing or jai alai. Both of those are in Seminole County.