Neighborhood casino ban introduced

Thursday, March 13, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A bill discouraging new casinos in residential neighborhoods and slot machines from spreading to donut shops or laundromats appeared in the Senate today.

"Let's put a stop to the proliferation" said Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, the author of Senate Bill 208, which would prohibit hotel-casinos from being built within 1,500 feet of a church, school or home. If the resort is planned for 1,500 to 2,500 feet away, neighbors would have a right to vote for or against the project.

Supermarkets, under the bill, would be required to build buffer zones for their banks of slot machines so children don't have to walk by as they enter the stores.

Restrictions in the bill would apply only to Clark and Washoe counties.

"The major thing is, it prevents the development of major casinos right in the middle of neighborhoods," James said. "It gives a voice and the power to the people to vote on something that so profoundly affects their neighborhoods."

Bill Gregory, lobbyist for Howard Hughes Corp., which is planning hotel-casinos in Summerlin, said the company wants time to study the bill before commenting, but he added, "I'm sure we will be able to proceed."

James Avance, lobbyist with Jackpot Enterprise and other slot machine companies, said he is working with James on the bill. He said there is no problem building a special niche in new supermarkets, but there may be trouble changing the layouts of present stores.

Present casinos would not be affected.

"You can't tear them down and turn them into schools," James said. "Those people have a right to exit."

His district alone has about nine casinos, some of them next to residential neighborhoods: the Orleans, Rio, Gold Coast, Arizona Charlies, Texas Station, Fiesta, Santa Fe and Palace Station.

Asked if he might be infringing on the traditional zoning powers of local governments, James replied, "Maybe we are doing something that should be done by local government. But if local government is not going to do it, then it's up to the Legislature to set policy."

There are plenty of established gaming zones now that new casinos can be built, James said. People can reinvest in downtown or on the Strip or in other gaming locations.

One exception in the bill allows a casino to be built in a residential area that already has at least three others.

The bill would also curb the expansion of restricted gaming licenses -- those that allow less than 15 slot machines.

"They're in a lot of things now, predominantly convenience stores, bars and restaurants, but they're branching out into laundromats and donut shops," James said. "We've heard there's applications for doctors offices. Pretty soon there is going to be a mini casino everywhere."

SB 208 would allow slot machines to continue in bars, restaurants, convenience stores, pool halls and under limited circumstances in the grocery stores.

"The supermarkets are a problem because that is one of the only places where they put casinos where you have no choice but to go there and take your children there," James said. "And if it's set up in such a way that you have to walk right through the gaming area, it seems inappropriate.

"If we leave them (slots) in grocery stores, we've got to put them in a separate area where they are a little bit buffered from the young people."

James said those stores not considered appropriate, such as donut shops, would be allowed to keep their slots only until their state license expires.