SEARCH NEWS:

 

Delaware Floating Casino Gambling Bill to Go to House

DELAWARE – As reported by the Delaware News Journal – June 6, 2002: "A group of state representatives agreed to release from committee Wednesday a bill that would bring a floating casino to the Delaware River.

A substitute version of House Bill 280 would allow for a vessel adjacent to, and accessed through, Penns Grove, N.J., the bill's sponsor, Rep. Joseph E. Miro, R-Foxfire, said.

But it would be anchored in waters that are considered part of Wilmington, thanks to a boundary drawn in the 1600s.

The bill faces a tough fight. It does not have a Senate sponsor and Gov. Ruth Ann Minner does not support plans for expanding slots to new Delaware locations, said her spokesman, Gregory Patterson

Minner was not available Wednesday to discuss the bill.

The hospitality company Hannalily wants to develop the project to coincide with riverfront redevelopment in Penns Grove. Miro's bill would create a "qualified entertainment zone" on the water where music, theater and slot machines are permitted.

The bill was in the House Business/Corporations/Commerce Committee on Wednesday. Miro, chairman of the committee, said he intends the legislation to require that 43 percent of a vessel's proceeds go to the state's general fund and an additional 10 percent be divided equally among farmland preservation, education and nonprofit groups.

"It may very well be a win-win situation for the state of Delaware," Miro said at the hearing, noting Delaware could reap financial benefits without taxing its roads and utilities.

Miro said he was unsure when the bill would be debated on the House floor.

Reps. Arthur L. Scott, D-Wilmington East, and Greg Lavelle, R-Sharpley, joined Miro in voting to release the bill from committee. Reps. David D. Brady, D-Claymont, and Tina Fallon, R-Seaford, were not present at the vote but signed the bill to support releasing it.

Rep. Helene M. Keeley, D-Wilmington South, voted against releasing the bill. Scott said he would not support the bill in a House vote, but it deserved a floor debate on its merits.

Lobbyist Joe Petrilli, who represents Hannalily, testified that he estimated the endeavor could mean an $88 million benefit for Delaware. The organization would try to draw customers from New York, New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania.

But opponents from Dover Downs, Delaware Park and the Delaware Standardbred Owners Association said they thought the idea would hurt Delaware tracks and slot operations. Representatives of all three organizations spoke against the bill.

"What we're talking about is putting an entertainment zone right in the middle of what is 70 percent of my market," said William Fasy, chief operating officer of Delaware Park.

< Gaming News