Gaming briefs for Nov. 11, 2003

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2003 | 11:03 a.m.

Town sets vote on casino

ROCKAWAY BEACH, Mo. -- Rockaway Beach residents will be able to decide in February whether to bring a casino to their struggling town.

The Board of Aldermen on Monday unanimously approved an ordinance setting an election for Feb. 3. Voters will be asked to allow the city to provide a business license to a casino if it is approved under state law.

The goal is to have local approval in place before any possible statewide vote, said City Clerk Susan Kettelkamp. A casino company is in the process of gathering signatures to get the question on a statewide ballot.

"If it's passed in November, it's a long dry spell before another election," Kettelkamp said.

Even if the casino were approved in a statewide vote, the Missouri Gaming Commission requires local approval before it would license the casino.

Rockaway residents have already twice voted in favor of the casino including approving a nonbinding referendum last November empowering city officials to pursue the matter.

Following that vote, the Board of Aldermen selected Southwest Casino and Hotel Corp. of Minneapolis to build the project.

This summer, the company hired a national consulting firm to head a $5 million petition drive that must collect 184,000 signatures by May 1 to put the issue up for vote in November.

Tribe considers city for casino

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. -- The Red Lake Band of Chippewa is considering this northern border city as the site of a new casino complex that could create 300 jobs.

The casino would have an estimated $6 million annual payroll and include 400 slot machines as well as blackjack tables, conference rooms and a gift shop, according to the American Indian band.

"We're pretty stagnant up here and starving for economic development," Paul Nevanen, Koochiching Economic Development Authority director, said. "We want to make it a destination stop and get people to stop here on their way to Canada."

Like other areas of northern Minnesota, International Falls is facing an uncertain future in job creation, Nevanen said. A partnership between the county, city and Red Lake could help bring new jobs and attract tourists, he said.

Environmental permits and approval from Gov. Tim Pawlenty would need to be completed before the project could move ahead, Nevanen said.

Gene McArthur, Red Lake business development specialist, said International Falls area economic development officials approached the band about the casino project.

"We have three other casinos and our compact allows one more," McArthur said. "We just feel the point has come to move ahead with another."

Red Lake Band operates casinos in Thief River Falls, Warroad and Red Lake. About 30,000 people live in International Falls, Fort Frances and surrounding areas, McArthur said.

A 40-acre parcel of property next to the Duluth Clinic-International Falls is proposed as the site. It's owned by the Duluth Clinic.