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Secret Report Says Casino Would Hurt Lincoln Park, Newport

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – As reported by the Journal-Register: ``Stopping just short of calling each other liars, the players on two sides of the debate over a proposed Narragansett Indian casino in West Warwick are accusing each other of manipulating statistics and making misleading claims.

``Representatives of Newport Grand and Lincoln Park say that public statements made by Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and Harrah's Entertainment Inc. executive Jan Jones to the effect that the state's two slot machine parlors would not be threatened by competition from a resort-style casino are "directly contradicted" by an incomplete confidential Harrah's document they distributed to The Call and other news organizations on Monday.

``Meanwhile, Harrah's spokesman Terry Fracassa, noting that the report distributed to the media starts on page 3, said, "this is an example of these people, again, not being honest. They put part of a study out without showing what it is predicated on."

``Jones said that the accusation that Harrah's says one thing in public and something different in its internal documents is "not in any way, shape or form accurate."

``…The document, which is not identified by title but has 'confidential and proprietary, Harrah's Entertainment Inc." written at the bottom of each page, says in part: 'Newport Jai Alai ..will be hurt by the West Warwick casino under any scenario….'…"

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