Gaming briefs for August 4, 2003

Monday, Aug. 4, 2003 | 10:47 a.m.

Casino rooms sold out

RENO -- As many as 500,000 classic car enthusiasts from across the country are expected to attend Northern Nevada's biggest special event this week.

Hot August Nights is expected to pump $90 million into the local economy during an eight-day run that began Sunday. The event features thousands of cars from the 1950s, '60s and '70s that take part in parades, cruises and other events.

Reno-area casinos are poised for a lucrative week as rooms have been sold out for weeks. Room rates are running between $100 and $200 higher than a normal summer weekend.

Poll: Residents favor lottery

RENO -- Most Nevadans favor a state lottery as an alternative means to fund education, according to a new poll.

The statewide survey conducted for the Reno Gazette-Journal and KRNV-TV found 90 percent of Democrats, 66 percent of Republicans and 78 percent of independents favored or strongly favored a state lottery.

Women were more likely than men, 80 percent to 76 percent, to favor a lottery. People living in Clark County were slightly more apt than Washoe County residents to favor a lottery, 78 percent to 75 percent, the poll found.

"The numbers may be inflated a bit," pollster Del Ali said. "I think there is support for a state lottery but when you say it would support education, the numbers go up some."

Financing set for Miss. project

A casino developer has signed an agreement with real estate brokerage C.B. Richard Ellis to secure debt and equity financing for a casino resort project in Diamondhead, Miss.

Diamondhead Casino Corp., through its subsidiary, Casino World Inc., intends to develop a "destination casino resort" at its 404-acre site on the Bay of St. Louis in Diamondhead. The agreement is contingent on performance and doesn't require the company to advance or pay costs or expenses, C.B. Richard Ellis said.

Through its Global Gaming Group in Las Vegas and other locations, C.B. Richard Ellis will help the company "enhance value and minimize the risk of major costly and irreversible real estate errors ..." the company said in a statement.

AGA program kicks off today

This week, Strip casinos will set up table tents and pin up posters and casino employees will wear buttons, stickers and ribbons telling gamblers about "Keeping it Fun."

Today is the start of the sixth annual Responsible Gaming Education Week, an event sponsored by the American Gaming Association and aimed at raising awareness of gambling addiction among employees, customers and the general public.

About 70,000 buttons, ribbons and stickers, as well as roughly 1,000 table tents and more than 500 posters, have been distributed to 10 casino companies that own 66 casino properties in 12 states, said the AGA, the industry's chief lobbying group.

Taxes push gamblers to Indiana

Illinois casinos already were losing gamblers to Indiana when new state taxes went into effect last month.

Now gamblers say the added costs are giving them an extra push across the Indiana state line.

Harrah's in Joliet, Ill., began collecting a $5 general admission fee July 28 to offset the new state taxes that take as much as 70 percent of a casino's receipts.

Argosy Gaming Co. plans similar measures at its Empress Casino in Joliet. So does Penn National Gaming Inc. at the Hollywood Casino in Aurora, Ill.

"We simply cannot continue to eat enormous tax levies without passing something on to consumers," Argosy spokesman Jim Wise said.