Mississippi Moves Forward With Coastal Casinos PlanBiloxi Officials Oppose Potential Regulatory Control |
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Mississippi has long been a popular southern gambling destination with the state’s Gulf Coast casinos offering gaming and a beach getaway.
Legislators in the state are now looking to regulate the construction of casinos on the state’s Public Trust Tidelands. The legislation would require any casino project to get a tidelands lease agreement from the secretary of state, cutting out approval processes from city, county, or other municipal entities, but also retaining local control over ports and harbors.
“The purpose of this bill is to restore a consistent regulatory environment for the gaming industry on the Gulf Coast,” Senate Gaming Committee Chairman David Blount (D) told the Biloxi Sun Herald. “The bill has been requested and supported by every single casino on the Gulf Coast.”
Details On The Bill
The proposal would provide a potential amendment to the Mississippi constitution after the state’s gaming commission approved a casino plan in Biloxi in December. A site approval was rejected three previous times because the developer “didn’t have control of the property all the way to the water’s edge, as required,” according to the Sun Herald.
The developer later received a lease agreement from Biloxi city officials and approval from Harrison County allowing for a pier for a small amount of waterfront. The state supreme court also earlier agreed with a local court ruling that a state tidelands lease wasn’t required to build the pier.
The new legislation is now seeking to spell out exactly what is needed and require state tideland leases for other casino construction plans. The bill has already been approved in the state house by a vote of 113-6 and is now being considered by the house.
Plan Draws Opposition
Not everyone is on board with the plan and Biloxi officials believe the effort is an overreach. Biloxi Mayor Andrew Gilich said the state has ample shoreline for such projects and that the issue should be left up to locals rather than a single person in state government. He said that coastal communities weren’t consulted about the plan.
The secretary state and the city of Biloxi have met in court on several occasions about the tidelands in the area. The city doesn’t have a tidelands lease agreement with the state, but the new legislation would require it. Biloxi officials say they have been careful in managing the area and casinos seeking to build in the area.
“The secretary of state does not need to have a say in how we develop and manage our ports,” Gilich said. “Our track record is excellent, and we don’t need an additional layer of red tape.”
The new legislation comes as the state’s casinos are feeling the results of added gaming competition in other states as well as various online casino offerings.
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