Legislation to consider allowing more riverboat casinos is on the table
Mississippi’s Gulf Coast casinos have been a popular gambling destination for many years, offering gambling and a beach escape for patrons.
Lawmakers now want to approve building casinos on Mississippi’s Public Trust Tidelands. The proposal would require the casino projects to acquire a tidelands lease arrangement from the secretary of state, eliminating the approval process from local entities while maintaining local authority over harbors and ports.
“The purpose of this bill is to restore a consistent regulatory environment for the gaming industry on the Gulf Coast,” stated Senate Gaming Committee Chairman David Blount (D) to the Biloxi Sun Herald. “The bill has been requested and supported by every single casino on the Gulf Coast.”
SB 2780 could amend the Mississippi constitution after the gaming commission endorsed a casino plan in December. Site approval was rejected on three previous occasions because the developer “didn’t have control of the property all the way to the water’s edge, as required.”
The bill was approved in the House by a 113-6 vote, and legislators are considering the bill to clarify provisions and lay out clear rules for casinos looking to invest near the tidelands.
Opposition to the plan still exists, and Biloxi officials believe the effort is overstepping its bounds. Biloxi Mayor Andrew Gilich says the state has made enough shoreline available for future casino projects and that local residents should decide on the issue instead of one individual in the state government. He says that residents in the coastal communities weren’t consulted about the proposed law.
The city of Biloxi and the secretary of state have met several times in court hearings regarding the tidelands in the area. The city has no tidelands lease arrangement with the state, but the new proposal would require one to be negotiated.
