Miss. gaming association hires Beau Rivage exec

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Thursday, June 1, 2000 | 10:02 a.m.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JACKSON, Miss. -- The new executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Association says casinos are bearing their fair share of taxes and any future tax increase could hurt casino development in the state.

Andrew Bourland, a public relations executive with Mirage Resorts Inc. for three years, was tapped Wednesday to lead the private association, which is made up of 25 of Mississippi's 31 casinos. He had been with Mirage's Beau Rivage, which is now owned by MGM Grand Inc.

"You'll see us working very closely to establish a grass-roots effort to meet with as many business and civic organizations as possible and just help everyone understand exactly what the industry is about and what it represents and, in many respects, to put a face on the industry," he said.

University of Southern Mississippi researchers are in the last weeks of a yearlong, $200,000 study of the state's casino industry. Gaming officials are hoping it does not lead to a casino tax increase.

"Wall Street looks very closely at those kinds of issues," Bourland said. "So in terms of future development in the state, any increase in taxes I think would cause serious alarm."

Bourland replaces Ernest J. Stebbins, who resigned Oct. 29 to become executive director of the national office of Phi Kappa Psi, a college social fraternity.