Long Beach discusses casino gambling

Five mayor candidates discussed the possibility of bringing a casino to Long Beach in order to boost business in the city.

US.- As Long Beach is close to its next mayor elections, the five candidates are discussing their proposals to improve the city, and they all agree that they need to bring business to Long Beach. The officials discussed the possibility of building a casino in the area, and its pro and cons.

As reported by the Sun Herald, Alderman Gary Ponthieux, who has been serving the city for 12 years, said that if they build a casino in the area, they can also use the money to build more schools. Even though voters weren’t in favor of bringing a casino in the past, in 2006 a non-binding referendum revealed that 54.7 percent of them were okay with a gambling facility across from the harbor. “I’m hanging my hat on a development coming in for gaming. I feel very confident about it. I believe the city needs a strong mayor to tell the board this is what we need,” he added.

Leonardo Carruba, a voter-elected board of aldermen, hinted that he’s not okay with the idea of trusting casino business. “From what I’ve heard, the casino that is being talked about would be the size of the Scarlet Pearl (located in D’Iberville). It would take the harbor over and I honestly don’t think it’s the best way to use it. To me, casino isn’t a magic word, many times it doesn’t help a community,” he said. “Once you depend on the funding and it’s kicked out from under you. That’s not a good place to be,” he added.