Mississippi Bill Exempts President Casino from Beach Development Ban

A Senate bill exempting President Casino Broadwater Resorts from a ban on future commercial development on the Coast sand beaches is angering casino operators who contend it gives the President a competitive edge.

The bill, awaiting Gov. Kirk Fordice's signature, puts into law Secretary of State Eric Clark's policy limiting commercial development on Mississippi's sand beach.

But it creates an exemption for President Casinos Inc., which has ambitious plans for a $2 billion, 10,000-room hotel and casino complex that would involve building a 70-acre extension of the beach by the marina.

"I have a problem when the rules are changed for one property," said Treasure Bay Gaming & Resorts president Bernie Burkholder.

Andrew Bourland, spokesman for developers of the 1,800-room Beau Rivage resort, said: "We view that 70-plus acres as changing the rules of gaming in Mississippi (and) perhaps providing a competitive edge to a new developer over the people we think have created an industry on the Gulf Coast."

President Casinos chief operating officer John Aylsworth failed to return a telephone call for comment. Company lobbyist and Jackson attorney Danny McDaniel said the project was developed to ensure the public has access to beaches.

The company hopes to solicit joint venture partners to help finance and develop its 250-acre site on Biloxi Beach. The plan calls for 12 hotels, six of which would be located on expanded sand beach south of U.S. 90, along with six casinos, a monorail, a roller coaster and retail shops.

Industry analysts and Coast casino executives are almost unanimous in their skepticism the company can put together a development plan and generate the capital investment. They also doubt the Coast market will grow large enough to warrant such a large development.

"Never mind the merits of the project," Burkholder said. What troubles casino companies is the precedent.

"The state of Mississippi and it's citizens have fought for a level playing field," Burkholder said. "The rules are all of a sudden changed. It's a dangerous precedent when you favor one project. It makes prudent business people sit back and question whether to invest."

"We think there are safeguards already in place," Bourland said, primarily the authority of Clark and the Mississippi Gaming Commission to approve casino sites. Commission officials refused to comment on the bill.

Bourland and Burkholder also questioned the logic of implementing a long-range ban on commercial development. Burkholder said a ban is dangerous without a master plan for development. Bourland suggested that local government officials would want to have authority over future commercial development.