Harrah’s New Orleans in pact with restaurants, hotels

Melinda Deslatte

Monday, March 5, 2001 | 11:17 a.m.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Harrah's New Orleans Casino has reached an agreement with restaurant and hotel trade groups in the gambling hall's bid to expand its food and lodging services, representatives of each group say.

Officials with the casino's owner, JCC Holding Co., the Greater New Orleans Hotel-Motel Association and the Louisiana Restaurant Association would not detail the terms of the agreement Friday, saying members of both associations must first vote to approve it.

The three sides met at the state Capitol with representatives of Gov. Mike Foster's office mediating. Representatives of each side expressed confidence the agreement could be approved as early as next week.

"Both sides did move today," said Jim Funk, executive vice president of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. "I think there are still some pieces of the puzzle that Harrah's has to put forth, but I think everybody wants to see the casino survive."

Bernard Boudreaux, the governor's executive counsel, said he believes the groups can complete an agreement in time to keep the casino open past March 31.

"Everybody came in with the idea we needed to find a solution to the problem. We really have a new spirit of working together," said Fred Burford, president of JCC Holding.

JCC Holding wants more table dining and authority to offer discounted and free meals to gamblers. The company also wants to have its own hotel with discounted rooms. Both measures would have to be approved by legislators.

The proposal is part of a package of concessions, including a state gambling tax cut, that JCC Holding says it must have to keep the casino open.

The gambling hall currently is restricted to one small buffet restaurant that is not supposed to discount meals. That provision was included in the 1992 casino law at the insistence of the New Orleans restaurant industry.

A special legislative session is tentatively set for March 11 to consider a new casino deal.

Boudreaux said the agreement reached Friday could provide the additional support needed to get legislative approval for the tax cut.