After rolling snake eyes with St. Tammany Parish voters, what now for the developers behind the proposed Camellia Bay casino resort?
Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, or P2E, had a specific set of conditions set by the state gaming control board to move their operation, says Wade Duty with the Casino Association of Louisiana.
"The gaming control board had stipulated as part of their approval of this relocation effort that should the election not resolve in favor of moving the license, that the license-holder would have 60 days to resume operations at their present location in Bossier City," said Duty. But P2E, owners of DiamondJacks casino in Bossier City, have made their desire to leave the Shreveport/Bossier market pretty clear.
"Along with every other casino in the state, the operators of the DiamondJacks facility closed as part of the COVID shutdown," said Duty, "but when other casinos were in a position to reopen, they did not."
Could they look for a place to set up in New Orleans, or Jefferson Parish? Duty said P2E would have to go back the gaming control board to make its case, first.
"Every casino license that changes geographical location triggers another board approval, and depending on the configuration, will also likely trigger another general election," he said.
Duty says that even includes parishes where there is already casino gambling.
