Casinos on barges - wiping out houses

[bloom]

"People stared in disbelief at the sights along Highway 90, which runs along the beach through Gulfport and Biloxi. Two casinos, built on barges because by law in Mississippi they had to be waterborne, had slipped loose and sailed over the highway, crashing into buildings on the other side. Some old mansions were peeled open like dollhouses; others, like the Dantzler House, which had just been remodeled, were simply gone."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/national/nationalspecial/31mississippi.html?th&emc=th



I heard mentioned on CNN or something, also - someone saying the houses were wiped flat when the storm surge sent the barges plowing into them.

It's such a weird idea anyway - casinos on barges instead of on land - as if keeping the casinos off land (but right next to it) prevents the casinos from damaging society or something. pfssh.

Another thing to rethink for the future.

[Roland99]

1. One casino barged was deposited on top of a Holiday Inn

[TahitiNut]

2. A hurricane can't really be fully destructive without big ammunition.

They just had to provide the ammunition. If everything was anchored and dug in, then we'd be deprived of the real drama. In true airhead fashion, they gave the hurricane something to batter people and homes with. Automobiles aren't seaworthy enough, I guess.

[dmkinsey]

3. Well, the floating casino concept goes back to

the method that was utilized to get gambling approved in most of these conservative states.
That is the quaint sounding "riverboat gambling" ballot initiatives.
Riverboat gambling was a much easier idea to sell to the red staters and combined with their aversion to income taxes the proposals passed.
Funny thing though, everybody was surprised when the casino owners built huge buildings on barges that were clearly never going to cruise up and down the Mississippi River.
That fine print is always a bitch.

[bloom]

5. Yeah - that is how they started around here, also

the Riverboats that aren't really boats anyway, concept. ( Bayh got Indiana solvent as a governor - without raising taxes - through the lottery and gambling)

It's time to wise up and send the casinos inland. What a waste of a good shoreline, anyway - a bunch of casinos moored off the coast.

[Massacure]

4. Doesn't this originate due to the politics of a long time ago?

I thought it had something to do with the fact that the federal government doesn't ban gambling, so even if the state does, you can build a river boat since all the major water ways fall under interstate commerce?

[bloom]

7. It seems

that states had to Ok the "Riverboats" (whether they were really boats or not). I remember Indiana going through this in the legislature. It seems to be a means of making gambling palatable for people. Now that people are Ok with Riverboats they have moved on to Racetrack betting and the new Casino project in French Lick.

In fact - under Mississippi law - the county has to approve it also - or at least not vote against it:

-------------------------
Criminal Laws


Last Visited 2003-9-4


SEC. 97-33-1. Betting, gaming or wagering; exception from prohibition; penalty.


If any person shall encourage, promote or play at any game, play or amusement, other than a fight or fighting match between dogs, for money or other valuable thing, or shall wager or bet, promote or encourage the wagering or betting of any money or other valuable things, upon any game, play, amusement, cockfight, Indian ball play, or duel, other than a fight or fighting match between dogs, or upon the result of any election, event or contingency whatever, upon conviction thereof, he shall be fined in a sum not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00); and, unless such fine and costs be immediately paid, shall be imprisoned for any period not more than ninety (90) days. However, this section shall not apply to betting, gaming or wagering:


(a) On a cruise vessel as defined in Section 27-109-1 whenever such vessel is in the waters within the State of Mississippi, which lie adjacent to the State of Mississippi south of the three (3) most southern counties in the State of Mississippi, and in which the registered voters of the county in which the port is located have not voted to prohibit such betting, gaming or wagering on cruise vessels as provided in Section 19-3-79;


(b) On a vessel as defined in Section 27-109-1 whenever such vessel is on the Mississippi River or navigable waters within any county bordering on the Mississippi River, and in which the registered voters of the county in which the port is located have not voted to prohibit such betting, gaming or wagering on vessels as provided in Section 19-3-79; or


(c) That is legal under the laws of the State of Mississippi.


http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Laws/Mississippi/

[leftofthedial]

6. if it weren't so horribly tragic

it would almost be funny.

the irony is so overwhelming and inescapable