Citizen comments sought on using LV’s name on website

Erin Neff

Friday, Oct. 27, 2000 | 11:34 a.m.

Casino executives have already bent the ears of the Las Vegas City Council on both sides of a proposed Internet casino with the city's name.

Now residents have a chance to tell the council whether lending the city name and seal to an Internet gaming venture is worth the hundreds of millions of dollars organizers project the city could earn from the deal.

On Monday the council will hold two sessions to receive public testimony about the casino project proposed by VegasOne.com.

At 10 a.m. Councilman Michael Mack and Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald will host an online chat designed to allow working residents another avenue to communicate with the council. A traditional meeting will be held at 3 p.m.

Going online isn't just convenient for residents to make their voices heard. VegasOne.com backers say it's the wave of the future in gaming.

As a result, the company is proposing an Australian-based Internet site with the city's name and seal. The city's involvement would bring credibility to VegasOne.com's casino as it vies with other online ventures for gamblers, attorney Jim Jimmerson told the council during the company's presentation Oct. 18.

But not everyone is sold on the idea.

Mayor Oscar Goodman was visited by several casino representatives Wednesday who are not convinced the proposal can keep its promises regarding controls of the site and liability indemnification for the city.

Mark Dodson, executive vice president of Park Place Entertainment; Mike Sloan, vice president of Mandalay Resorts; Danny Wade, co-chief executive of MGM MIRAGE; Bill Bible, president of the Nevada Resort Association; and lobbyist Billy Vassiliadis all expressed concerns to Goodman.

"They are apprehensive, and they are concerned that the science, the state of the art as far as the Internet is concerned, hasn't evolved to the point where a venture like that can be enforced," Goodman said Thursday.

The executives also questioned how the city's involvement could be legal in light of state laws banning Internet gaming.

Goodman characterized the meeting as "a healthy discussion."

But a second meeting, with developers of another online casino project, raised some concerns in Goodman's mind about whether the city should put the proposal out to bid.

"Every deal that I've inherited as a mayor where there's been a sweetheart deal in terms of the bidding, I've been bitten by it," Goodman said.

"I would feel more comfortable going out to bid," he added.

The Internet proposal will again be considered by the council Nov. 1.

In addition to the online chat, the council will hold a special meeting at 3 p.m. Monday in the council chambers to gain public input.

Online chat