Proposal would bring casino, thousands of jobs, slots to area

Wednesday, March 30, 2005 | 9:11 a.m.

WILMINGTON, Del. -- A group of developers is proposing a 50-acre waterfront gambling resort that could bring thousands of jobs and thousands of slot machines to east Wilmington.

To make the project possible, supporters are drafting legislation to expand gambling at sites, such as the proposed casino, not linked to a racetrack. The 1994 law that legalized slot machines in Delaware required they be restricted to sites related to the horse racing industry.

And they are enticing Wilmington officials with the promise of a percentage of the gambling proceeds -- which could net millions for the financially strapped city.

The proposed Diamond Casino Resort would sit on Wilmington's Seventh Street Peninsula along the Christina River and cost an estimated $300 million. Plans include up to 4,000 slot machines in several themed settings, a 400-room hotel, dinner theater, restaurants, shops and a public marina.