Louisiana casino executive stops just short of calling governor a hypocrite

Guy Coates

Thursday, March 23, 2000 | 2:45 a.m.

BATON ROUGE, La. - The casino executive stopped just short of calling Gov. Mike Foster a hypocrite as he complained about the governor's bill to abolish the 15th riverboat casino license.

The bill is meant to be symbolic, to say gambling is evil but the message comes from a governor who supported slots at the horse race tracks and pushed the new contract reopening the New Orleans casino, Paul Alanis, president of Pinnacle Entertainment, told the House Criminal Justice Committee Thursday.

"If it's indeed a moral issue, how can the governor distinguish morally between support for the track slots and the New Orleans casino and not for the 15th license?" asked Alanis.

Foster has said repeatedly that he signed the race track bill into law because voters in the affected parishes had approved slots at the tracks, and that he signed the casino contract only to protect Louisiana creditors who would lose $57 million if the gambling palace didn't open. In addition, the state would be sued, he addded.

Alanis, whose company is an applicant for the last riverboat license, said it makes no economic sense to do away with a license at a time when the state is looking for revenue. A new boat would mean $30 million in new tax revenue, he said.

Most of the committee, a pro-gambling panel, agreed that killing the license is a bad idea, but approved the bill as a courtesy to the governor.

Chairman Dan Martiny, R-Metairie, said he has no doubt the bill will be killed on the House floor.

House Speaker Charlie DeWitt, handling the bill for Foster, said 14 riverboats are enough and the 15th license is just hanging in the air.

"The license has never been granted and the governor sees granting it as expansion of gambling," said DeWitt.

DeWitt's observation of expansion is what stirred Alanis' remarks.

The 15th license has been a main focus in the racketeering trial of former Gov. Edwin Edwards, who is accused of conspiracy in trying to steer it to former San Francisico 49ers owner Eddie D'Bartolo.

DeBartolo gave up the chase for a license after he was subpoenaed to testify to a grand jury investigating Edwards.

Now, there are five groups looking to get the last license, including an in-state combine of businessmen that includes one of Foster's close friends, Boysie Bollinger of Bollinger Shipyards.

Bollinger's involvement has made the administration uncomfortable, still another reason the governor would like the license to go away.

The Bollinger group was represented at the committee hearing by one of Bollinger's close friends, former Gov. Dave Treen.

"This is the first time I've opposed a bill by my good friend, Governor Foster," said Treen.

While Treen said he has "a fundamental problem with gambling," the state has legalized it and legitimate businesses are just trying to follow the law.

The state "should not pull the rug from under them" by changing the law, he said.