MIAMI — The battle for Florida’s tourism soul has been joined.

On one side is the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the powerful Walt Disney Company, which strenuously advances the family-friendly vacation-postcard image through its theme parks.

On the other side are billions of dollars in resort-casino investment, beckoning to traditionally gambling-averse lawmakers at a time when the state’s economy is in the doldrums and unemployment remains stubbornly high.

The focus of the battle is a bill that, if adopted, would drastically change the profile of the gambling industry here by allowing three lavish $2 billion resort casinos to open in South Florida — Dade and Broward Counties.

And with the promise of tens of thousands of sorely needed jobs and many millions of dollars in tax revenue, Florida politicians are recalibrating their positions.