Political signs urging St. Tammany voters to approve or reject a casino near Slidell have yet to sprout up along the parish's roadways — a referendum on the issue is still months away — but a for-sale sign is already up at the home of Chandler Goltz.
Goltz, her husband and two young daughters moved from Alabama two years ago to take over a nearby orthodontics practice, buying what she described as their dream home in the gated waterfront neighborhood of Lakeshore Estates.
But the upscale subdivision, where the most expensive homes go for as much as $1 million, is the closest residential area to 100 undeveloped acres that Los Angeles-based developer Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, known as P2E, wants to transform into a $250 million casino and resort.
Goltz put the house up for sale in March, figuring that the casino was a "foregone conclusion," and she says several neighbors with a clear view of the site have done the same.
But while the proposed casino cleared a major hurdle last week when the state Legislature approved a bill to bring a gambling referendum to St. Tammany voters, it's a stretch to call the development a done deal.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has indicated he will sign the bill into law. Then the St. Tammany Parish Council will hold a special meeting, likely later this month, on whether to put the measure on the Nov. 13 ballot. Then, voters in the conservative parish will have to say "yes" to casino gambling, something 62% of them rejected in a 1996 vote.
Finally, the state Gaming Control Board would have to approve moving the casino license, one of 15 in the state, from Bossier City, where P2E operated the now-closed DiamondJacks riverboat casino, to the property near the the foot of the Interstate 10 twin spans.
The project has seen pushback from people like Goltz, who worry about their property values, and from a vocal group of Slidell area pastors and parishioners who predict a host of social ills. They've had help from the conservative faith-based group Louisiana Family Forum.
But the casino has strong support from business and economic development leaders and from parish government officials who have supported the project as a source of tax revenue and jobs.
The foundation of a home is built in a neighborhood next to a planned casino in Slidell, La. Thursday, June 10, 2021. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
STAFF PHOTO BY MAX BECHERER
Those two sides have lined up at every step of the process, in legislative hearings and when local government bodies discussed whether to support the referendum, and it's a given that they'll do so again when the Parish Council votes on the election.Morris St. Angelo, senior pastor at New Beginnings Church in Slidell, said religious leaders determined at the outset that even if they lost in Baton Rouge, they wouldn't quit.“It’s a David and Goliath situation. We’re fighting some high powers in the government, beginning with the governor and trickling down to the Parish Council," he said. "There’s a lot of pressure from a lot of people to put this casino in Slidell.”Opponents made much of the fact that P2E had 19 lobbyists working for the bill during the legislative session.But there are Goliaths on both sides of this fight, and that's likely to become more apparent as election day gets closer. Other casinos, not only in Louisiana but also along the nearby Mississippi Gulf Coast, stand to lose if a new competitor starts siphoning off their customers.Boyd Gaming and Penn National Gaming, companies that own casinos in both states, had lobbyists working against the bill to allow a vote.In Kenner, where the city relies heavily on tax revenue from the Treasure Chest Casino, the City Council asked Jefferson Parish lawmakers to oppose legislation allowing a St. Tammany vote.
A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today.
Ships are seen docked where a casino is planned in Slidell, La. Thursday, June 10, 2021. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
STAFF PHOTO BY MAX BECHERER
Dan Lee of Full House Resorts, which owns five casinos, including the Silver Slipper in nearby Waveland, Mississippi, urged state officials to take the license away from P2E and put it out to bid, saying he'd propose a $500 million casino in Lake Charles if given the chance.A series of mailers were sent to St. Tammany addresses during the legislative session by Watchdog, PAC LLC, a nonprofit that is not required to disclose its donors. A P2E spokesman accused Gulf Coast casinos of bankrolling that effort, although Scott Wilfong, chairman of the group, said last week that his donors are mainly individuals and that there is an "appetite" to remain involved through the fall.That's likely a preview of what's to come. Ronnie Jones, former head of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, said he expects a full court press from the Mississippi casinos."They have more to lose than the South Shore gaming properties," he said.A 2018 study commissioned by Louisiana Economic Development estimated that the 3.3 million visits that Louisianans made to Mississippi casinos that year translates into $380 million.Louisiana casinos all belong to the same casino association, Jones said, likening the issue to a family fight. "They'll be trying to influence this in a less direct way."But Lee was dismissive of that argument, saying he doesn't plan to spend money on a campaign because polling that his company has done internally shows St. Tammany residents don't want a casino."They moved (to the north shore) to get away from some of the issues a low-end casino will attract," he said, adding that he doesn't believe a $250 million casino can generate the amount of revenue P2E is predicting. With lower taxes in Mississippi that allow better payouts at slots and better buffet prices, Lee said he's not worried about the competition.
Members of the public listen from the hallway at a public meeting of the Slidell City Council during public comments related to a proposed casino in Slidell, La. Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Photo by Max Becherer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
STAFF PHOTO BY MAX BECHERER
But P2E commissioned a poll as well, and it showed strong support for putting the measure on the ballot and also support for the casino. Proponents point out that sports betting passed in St. Tammany with 67% of the vote, which they argue shows a change in attitude since 1996.The public also has yet to see how the money will be divvied up. Chris Masingill, who heads St. Tammany's economic development agency, points to what's called a community host agreement, still being finalized, that calls for P2E to contribute $35 million to a sports complex. That's over and above the 5% share of net gaming revenues that the casino has agreed to pay, which is the highest amount that's been negotiated with a casino in Louisiana.The agreement, which could be voted on by the economic development district's 11-member board as early as next week, will spell out how the anticipated $7.5 million to $9 million that the 5% share would generate will be allocated.Louisiana casinos also pay gaming taxes to the state, 26% compared to 11.6% in Mississippi, according to the 2018 gaming analysis.
Michele Lindsey casts a vote for which design she favors as casino representatives hold an informational meeting at the Blind Tiger in Slidell, La., Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
P2E has waged a glossy public relations campaign that has relied mainly on in-person meetings, large and small. CEO Brent Stevens said in an email that the company has connected with "thousands" of residents and is "constantly engaged to ensure St. Tammany voters have all the facts" before they're asked to vote.He said Mississippi casinos make hundreds of millions off Louisiana customers "so we expect them to continue slinging mud. ... We will stay focused on partnering with the local community to build something special here in Louisiana."P2E spokesperson Jay Connaughton said he "can't imagine" how much Mississippi casinos will spend, but that it will determine what P2E does. "We'll fight to win," he said.
Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission
Read more
