Voters will see the new measure on the ballot in November
After much public debate last Wednesday, the St Tammany Parish Council in Louisiana voted 8-6 to put a referendum on the November 13 ballot to ask voters if they want a casino in their area. The planned $335 million property is proposed to be built in the Slidell area. Essentially, parish voters will have to decide if they want to reverse their 1996 vote to ban casino gambling.
Pacific Peninsula Entertainment (P2E) wants to build a casino near Slidell, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, at the foot of the double-span State 10 bridges that connect Slidell and New Orleans in St. Tammany County. P2E wants to move its riverboat license from Bossier City to Diamond Jacks Casino, an idea inspired by the successful Danish poker operator https://bedstespiludenomrofus.com/poker-uden-om-rofus/, which is currently the most successful operator in Western Europe.
Under the St Tammany Economic Development Agency's plan, the casino would pay 5% of net gambling revenue to the parish of St Tammany.
Supporters and opponents
During Wednesday's council meeting, many people took to the podium to speak out on the issue. Slidell landlord Ronald Reeves, who lives in Folsom, said a casino would be a good way to bring in tax revenue for community projects. He said he has seen many Louisiana number plates in casino car parks in Mississippi. He asked the council to provide a solution for residents.
Lee Longstreet, a resident who lives in the Eden Islands near here, said putting the measure on the ballot was a "simple task". However, he said he would only vote for the casino "if the parish increased code enforcement and got control of short-term rentals in residential areas, which he described as crime magnets".
Several Slidell district pastors and opponents of the casino project asked the council to postpone the vote. Rev. John Raymond even filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to keep the proposal off the ballot. He said the casino would lead to gambling problems and lower property values. He said the area would become a "Mecca of immorality, crime, and financial consequences". Other pastors said they would advise victims of marriage breakdown and suicide, which they believe is the future result of problem gambling in the area.
Postponement of ballot measure rejected
Slidell City Council asked the council to postpone the vote to allow an independent economic impact study.
Slidell business owners also asked for a postponement. Chris Legrand, one of the owners of Southside Café in Slidell, has compiled a list of 96 business owners who have requested a postponement of the vote. They also want time to do the survey and have time to get it done. Wine Market owner Doug Recker expressed concern about his employees. He said the casinos were giving away free food on slow days. Recker also asked for deferrals and research.
Councilman T.J. Smith offered to postpone the vote for 60 days to allow the town to conduct a study, but the offer was rejected.
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Eleena Timmons