Thursday, Aug. 5, 2004 | 10 a.m.
BILOXI, Miss. -- The Mississippi Gaming Commission exceeded its authority when it approved plans by Treasure Bay to move its casino barge to a man-made basin outside of state waters, Harrison County Circuit Judge Robert H. Walker has ruled.
The ruling struck down a permit approving the new location as a legal gambling site.
Treasure Bay Casino had sustained $39 million in damages from storms and hurricanes over the past decade, officials said. The casino company sought to move its gambling barge to a more protected spot next to its current location.
The move would also put the barge on land owned by the casino company, instead of property it leases from the Mladinich Family Limited Partnership. Jake Mladinich and his family appealed the Gaming Commission's decision.
Walker said the proposed gambling site was not in state waters and only the Legislature can decide to allow a casino to relocate outside of state waters.
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