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Regulator Suggests Moving Casino Barges Ashore

BILOXI, Mississippi -- A Mississippi casino regulator is suggesting that gambling barges eventually will move onto land, a proposal that's met with little support around the state.

Len Blackwell, chairman of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, said the transition is a logical step for the casino industry.

"Our law is good and our regulations are good, but the casinos don't need to be floating," Blackwell said while attending last week's Southern Gaming Summit.

State law requires casinos to located along the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast counties or tributaries that connect to them. Most barges sit in man-made lagoons or coffer dams connected to the main body of water.

Bernie Burkholder, president and CEO of Treasure Bay Corp., said Treasure Bay closed 13 days in 1998 due to Hurricane Georges and 17 days in 2003 after Hurricane Lily. He said he would endorse a move toward permanent structures.

A working barge on a river generally lasts 12-15 years, Burkholder said, but that's not the same as in saltwater.

Copyright © Las Vegas Sun. Inc. Republished with permission.

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