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Mississippi Gaming Commission delays rule barring casinos west of Interstate 110

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 | 9:35 a.m.

Gaming Commission executive director Chuck Patton said the scheduled public hearing for Sept. 21 regarding the draft regulation to forbid development of casinos west of I-110 in D'Iberville has been scrapped.

Patton said his agency figured Coast Resorts of Las Vegas would abandon their plans to build a casino on nine acres of land because of a federal court ruling last week.

That ruling negated permits granted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and required new environmental studies to look at the impact construction could have on the wetlands.

Coast Resorts also may appeal the federal court ruling, Patton said, and a second company has expressed an interest in building a casino on the site.

Mandalay Bay Resorts and Europa Cruises Corp. also hold options on property in the same area.

Deborah Vitale, Europa's president and CEO said her company plans to move forward with plans to build its first casino in Mississippi.

"The court's decision will delay us," Vitale said. "It will not stop us."

Proposed boundaries on Back Bay casinos were considered by the commission last spring, but action on the ordinances was delayed. Patton said it was not certain when commissioners would reconsider the issue.

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