Process is there for additional gaming
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – As the public relations campaign intensified in recent weeks about the vote this Saturday, Dec. 11 to decide whether parish residents will approve the first-ever casino to be built in St. Tammany, a new storyline drew such an angry reaction from parish leaders that a last-minute press conference was called to discuss it.
The topic involved the question of whether one casino in Slidell will open the door for a second casino elsewhere in St. Tammany Parish, most probably near Mandeville or Covington.
Parish President Mike Cooper and Parish Council President Mike Lorino put together a hastily called press conference to refute what they called “false information” about the casino vote this Saturday.
However, even though the vote this Saturday is for one casino, only in Slidell, there is positively a process that could be followed after this vote that could bring one more casino, and even others.
That would involve any member of the Louisiana Legislature authoring another bill in the spring session that would be similar to the one Rep. Mary DuBuisson pushed through this past spring, which gave parishwide voters the right to decide on whether they wanted a casino in St. Tammany, although DuBuisson’s bill specifically named Slidell as the location.
Stand Up St. Tammany has become the leading voice of opposition for the proposed casino in Slidell that Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) wants to build at the Oak Harbor exit off I-10. It is a group of over 500 business owners or managers who believe the casino is a “bad bet” for the North Shore.
Stand Up President Chris Jean took to social media with one of the group’s recent ads and raised the possibility that if parish voters approve the Slidell casino it would enhance the possibility of a second casino on the west side of the parish.
Jean held up a copy of the Spectrum Gaming Report which discussed where the states licenses needed to be, particularly moving some of the Shreveport-Bossier City licenses elsewhere. Spectrum stated in their report that “moving one or both of these licenses to the underserved Northshore would strengthen the remaining boats.”
Cooper and Lorino called the press conference to state there was no way a second casino could come to St. Tammany, at least not from the Saturday vote. While Lorino attacked the Jean video as suggesting Saturday’s vote could bring more than one casino, the Jean video says nothing of the sort. He merely pointed out the fact the Spectrum report stated the North Shore would be an ideal place for more than one casino.
“Some people are openly spreading the myth that a second casino could follow the one P2E wants to build in Slidell,” Lorino said. “That is baloney—or I could use a much stronger word. Any speculation about that is not based on fact.”
However, even though this ballot item is certainly just for one casino, there is positively a process for a second casino to come to the North Shore—something the Spectrum Gaming Study said is a possibility to increase gambling dollars for the state.
Just as DuBuisson got a bill passed for the Saturday vote, it would only take another bill in the next session to bring about a second vote next year.
Lorino was correct in stating that “the voters must approve” a second casino, but the process is in place for that to happen, something Jean believes would quickly be pushed through if this first casino gets approved.
“And that could easily happen if the Legislature passes a bill next session to vote on another one,” Jean added. “You can bet that if parish voters approve the first casino here, then it would be easy to get the Legislature to approve going for a second one.”
Lorino was downright angry during the press conference as he insisted to the press that a second casino was not possible. However, he was only referring to the vote this Saturday, not the possibility that the Legislature could bring a second vote about next year.
The press conference also addressed comments on social media that the parish was ready to sell millions of dollars of bonds for the casino company. But Cooper stated there was no truth to that.