Disney, which has long fought against the expansion of casinos in Florida, is bringing to an end some licensing deals that have been viewed as hypocritical to that anti-gambling stance: slot machines, online slots and lottery tickets featuring Marvel and Star Wars characters.

The New York Times reports the announcement, made over the weekend, comes as the Florida legislature again prepares to address whether Las Vegas-style casino resorts should be permitted to open in the state. The Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista attracts 52.5 million visitors annually; the entertainment giant argues that gambling hurts the state's family-friendly brand.

Although Disney is so opposed to gambling that it doesn't even casinos on its cruise ships -- that's an oddity in the industry -- Marvel continued to sign slot machine agreements after it was purchased by the corporation in 2009 for $4.6 billion. But a Marvel spokeswoman told The Times the last deal was made two years ago, and the company has "discontinued plans to initiate or renew slot machine licensing arrangements as part of its integration with Disney." Those that remain will be allowed to expire.

Marvel heroes like Iron Man and the Avengers have appeared on scratch-off lottery tickets in several states, but the company said there are no active licensing deals.

A spokeswoman for Walt Disney World attributed the lag to the complexities of aligning corporate policies following a merger.