Issue 107
September 30 - October 6, 2002
Volume 3
page 2
 

Casinos at Issue in Governor’s Race

/Republican-American/ - The governor’s race finds both candidates at odds on casino issues, including casino expansion in parts of Connecticut other than the southeast where the state’s Foxwood Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun are located.

Both candidates understand that Connecticut voters are worried that another tribe could receive federal acknowledgment and the right to open a casino. The pressure will likely increase between now and Election Day.

Recently, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs granted recognition to the Eastern Pequot Tribe in North Stonington. The state is now appealing that decision. Republican Gov. John G. Rowland has long taken a hands-off approach to tribal recognition and tribal gambling issues, but he is supporting the Pequot decision appeal. His Democratic rival, Bill Curry, opponent of casino development, claims Rowland has a history of supporting gambling, from a failed 1995 proposal to build a casino in Bridgeport to accepting campaign contributions from casino interests.

According to Rowland, Curry is trying to distort his record. "What some of my opponents are suggesting is that (I) want to put the casino in other parts of Fairfield County…," Rowland told reporters recently. "If you would report the truth and report true statements, you cannot show anywhere — and you ought to write this story — that I've ever supported a casino anywhere except for eight years ago in Bridgeport, Connecticut."


Seattle Casino Undergoes Bankruptcy - SEATTLE, WA - Funsters Grand Casino Inc. has filed for bankruptcy protection little more than a year after opening what promised to be the first in a chain of Las Vegas-style gaming facilities. The company, co-owned by Seattle restaurateur Gerry Kingen, cited debts between $1 million and $10 million in a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing last week. The move comes less than six months after the Washington State Gambling Commission filed a complaint alleging that the company's SeaTac casino didn't have enough money on hand to pay its progressive jackpots or to pay winners for their chips, and that it was behind on paying its gambling taxes. Funsters intends to reorganize and ultimately emerge from bankruptcy protection, said Jan Ostrovsky, a lawyer for the company. The company's casino is expected to remain open during the bankruptcy.

Visitors to Las Vegas Expected to Rise - LAS VEGAS - The number of visitors to Las Vegas is estimated to increase by about 8.5 percent from September to December compared to the year before, ending nearly a year of declines and offering further indication that the Las Vegas market is on the road to recovery. That's according to a representative from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority who spoke to a group of casino marketers Friday. The figures are only preliminary forecasts, LVCVA research director Terry Jicinsky said during last week's Global Gaming Expo. The agency expects to release more detailed monthly data over the next several months. The increase is good news, he said, though reaction should be tempered by the fact that last year marked a significant drop from 2000. "How we present the data will be a challenge," he told the group.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan will performa at the Joint at Hard Rock Hotel Casino on October 20.

Price:
$80.50, $155.50

Showtime:
8:00 p.m.

Reservations:
Reservations Recommended

For more information please call: (800) HRD-ROCK
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