The three companies fighting for Louisiana's 15th and final riverboat gaming license went before the State Gaming Control Board Wednesday in Baton Rouge. State Police say both projects being proposed for Lake Charles... St. Gabriel Downs' Hard Rock proposal and Dan Lee's "Mojito Pointe" proposal.. have been deemed suitable projects for the city. And the third proposal, a project proposed by Penn Gaming that would locate near New Orleans, was also found suitable for the state. The board will vote on who gets the license in one week on Thursday, February 17th. Which of the two projects proposed for Lake Charles would you like to see get the license? Or do you want either of the projects?
We have been talking about downtown/lake front develpment for Lake Charles for year. The St.Gabriel Downs - Hard Rock Casino would be a premier development for the lake front. Along with the proposed American Hurricane Museum & Science Center, (the opera house of Lake Charles. These two projects would compliment each other for a great and improved Lake Charles.
Posted by: James Deshotel | February 10, 2011 at 06:59 AM
Po New Awlins, It's all about New Awlins since Katrina. That board is political. They are going to do what will bring the most votes to the powers to be. The most revenue to the state bottom line. Po New Awlins..
Posted by: egg shell | February 10, 2011 at 07:04 AM
I am not a proponent of gambling nor do I like the idea of more gambling in the city area, however, it is here and not going away. I believe the idea of a resort location, as proposed by Lee, is a much better idea if there is to be a new facility. Lee has been a believer in Lake Charles in my opinion and the combination of the existing facilities and Mojito proposed would compliment each other and bring in more opportunity for growth of the resort industry, hopefully with less emphasis on gambling
Posted by: jock martin | February 10, 2011 at 07:05 AM
I would prefer to see St. Gabriel Downs receive the the final riverboat license. I think it would bring balance to the lakefront. I also think this would help with developing the downtown area.
Posted by: Glen D. Ashworth | February 10, 2011 at 07:15 AM
As your future mayor, I would like to see the Hard Rock develop our lake front, a true win-win situation for the city.
Also as your mayor I believe I should be part of the hiring team for all of the cocktail waitress's and any other staff, such as pool side waitress's and VIP room workers. I mean I want to ensure we have the "hottest" I mean best equipped staff to represent LC.
Posted by: DA GARDNER FOR MAYOR | February 10, 2011 at 08:00 AM
Didn't I hear that Hard Rock was in bankruptcy court? How would that affect their participation in Lake Charles? Would there be long term stability?
Posted by: Bill | February 10, 2011 at 08:11 AM
the one on the lake front for sure. the city could use the extra money in their coffers. which would probably bring on a lawsuit by the "sue happy" port, for loss of income. then the city will have to pay them a head count tax to settle. gotta love the politics in sw la.
Posted by: Bill for Dog Catcher | February 10, 2011 at 09:17 AM
The casinos depend on Texas folks to make money and keep the doors open, especially Houston's folks. That's a customer base of almost 5 million people.
Everything is fine as long as transportation is affordable....gas less than $3.
Gasoline has never been $3 average nationwide in December as was this winter. That means chances are very good that the price will be $5 and more this summer. Some predict $7+, due to oil over $150 a barrel on the horizon....by 2012. (Add the drilling moratorium on gulf and east coast from the 'O' man.)
If $5 to $7 is in the mix, the casinos will fold. So will many businesses here, especially restaurants. Less discretionary income. More bologna sandwiches.
The casino money folks know that also. They need a large local/metro venue...rather than relying on a customer base 125+ miles away.
It would be nice...... but I don't see it happening. (The 'O' man strikes again, and hits LC this time.)
Posted by: perry | February 10, 2011 at 09:20 AM
Somebody please explain how two casinos, sitting side-by-side, "compliment each other".
My take is that whomever gets the license, and it's in Lake Charles, a high-end facility will be built.
I-10 splits around the city. Let's have a high-end facility on each side.
Hard Rock Las Vegas is off the strip. Way off the strip. Let's not get into comparing two unlike facilities. And let's don't create a side-by-side monster.
Posted by: Gump | February 10, 2011 at 09:38 AM
I like turtles.
Posted by: Zombie Kid | February 10, 2011 at 11:39 AM
Hey Zombie K. Maybe the casino will hire the turtles to play at the grand opening...
Posted by: DA GARDNER FOR MAYOR | February 10, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Both of them. It is senseless to restrict the number of licenses allowed.
We have two companies who want to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in our area and we are going to turn one of them away.
Does that make any sense to anyone else? Our representatives in the legislature are asleep on the job.
More people could be employed, and more investment could occur in the surrounding areas of both projects.
Posted by: Scott | February 10, 2011 at 12:07 PM
I agree with Scott...we've got morons running the state!!!
Posted by: Mom | February 10, 2011 at 01:24 PM
Mojito Pointe looks nicer but I think the Hard Rock would be in a better location. Its right off I10 and would attract people just passing through. Either way I pretty confident that our elected officals will mess this up or aleast unnecessarily slow down the process.
Posted by: steve | February 10, 2011 at 04:37 PM
I dont want any gambling in Lake Charles,but since We are going to have it I think The Hard Rock site would be better so both ends of Lake Charles would benefit and the traffic could be spread out and it would attract people off the freeway(I-10)also it would mabey help the Downtown area but I doubt the latter because it looks like our leaders are going to block off part of the traffic area for foot trafic something like we tried before and failed...But mabey the same people can benefit again with landscaping like charging 8,000.00+ for some more palm trees..Follow the money trail,it always leads to the truth.
Posted by: bd | February 10, 2011 at 05:12 PM
How about the License to Annoy? Crystal Price's 'Rose' story tonight had 127 EDITS IN IT!!! ENOUGH ALREADY WITH THE SPEEDY SHOTS! It totally disracted me from the story and gave me a headache... and could you tape her hands behind her back and stop all the waving?
Posted by: Bayou Grouch | February 10, 2011 at 08:27 PM
didn't harrahs take advantage of the city, with all those parking areas around i10, then building a parking garage and leaving the other areas basicly empty with no income revenue. now we have acres upon acres of unused parking are, and a falling apart hotel area.
whoever gets the next contract with the city should sign a twenty year contract, that continues to pay the city even if it fails or decides to leave.
our local government, though wrongful to ASSUME so, counts on a lot of this income for certain things like education, and when it fails, our local elected officals get blind-sided because they counted their chickens before they were hatched.
but then again we have a casino, we have texas revenue, let all of the business go to that casino and continue to draw upon a real sourceof income, which we now have.
competition will only but one of those out of business, and leave us like harras did.
we have a good casino, good income, lets not tempt fate.
'
Posted by: terri | February 11, 2011 at 12:00 AM
For all the people talking about more casinos, like the person up there that said why not let two companies build at the same time, lets not forget, the more casinos you have, the less revenue one casino will bring in. If it's costing me x amount of dollars in operating expenses and my revenue is only x amount, why would I want to keep operating a business here. They probably figured out that by building Sugarcane Bay, that it would cost them more in operating expenses then what they would probably bring in revenue wise, so they scrapped it. I say let the third license go to New Orleans, cause if we bring another casino here, that's less revenue between the three of them. I'm sure the Isle is already looking for reasons to pull out of Lake Charles. Harrah's had been looking for a reason to pull out of Lake Charles, and the hurricane allowed them to do so.
Posted by: Melville | February 11, 2011 at 03:28 AM