Gaming briefs for June 28, 2004

Monday, June 28, 2004 | 11:01 a.m.

Casinos step up to help save fireworks show

RENO -- The on-again, off-again Reno Skyfire Fourth of July fireworks show is on again.

Canceled earlier this month due to budget constraints, Skyfire will be staged this year from downtown Reno instead of Rancho San Rafael park.

The 18-minute pyrotechnic show will begin about 9:30 p.m. from the roofs of the Silver Legacy and Eldorado casinos and Harrah's parking garage.

Skyfire organizers concluded there weren't enough sponsors to hold the event at Rancho San Rafael this year.

After the event was canceled, casino executives decided to keep the show going from the downtown.

The city of Reno is the event's largest sponsor, with an $18,000 contribution. Other sponsors are the Eldorado, Silver Legacy, Harrah's, Circus Circus, Club Cal Nevada and Golden Phoenix.

Company pitches casino

WASHINGTON, Iowa -- Residents in another Iowa county may be asked to support gambling.

A southeast Iowa riverboat casino operator is eyeing the northeast corner of Washington County for a casino. Representatives of Catfish Bend Casinos, which operates casinos in Ft. Madison and Burlington, pitched the idea to roughly 20 community leaders and private citizens this week.

They said a casino would do $80 million in business, pump $3 million directly into community improvement and create up to 700 new jobs.

Gary Hoyer, an attorney who represents Catfish Bend Casinos, said voters would have to decide on a referendum vote before any proposal moves forward.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission established Nov. 10 as a cutoff date for counties to submit new gambling license proposals.

Hoyer said the casino group had a good feeling about Washington County after speaking with community leaders.