Miami Beach filed legal brief opposing casino

The measure came as a response to Genting Group’s long-running attempt to to open a casino in downtown Miami.

US.- Miami Beach filed a legal brief opposing Malaysian firm Genting Group’s plan to open a casino in downtown Miami.

Genting Group has been trying to obtain permission to build a casino in the site of the former Omni International Mall overlooking Biscayne Bay since 2014. Last April, the group even filed a lawsuit against Miami-Dade County and Katherine Fernandez Rundle, State Attorney for Miami-Dade County, asking a judge to pre-emptively declare as legal its attempt to transfer a casino license currently held by the nearby Gulfstream Park Racing And Casino to Genting’s downtown Miami plot. The lawsuit alleges that Gulfstream Park Racing And Casino, which is located 17 miles away in Broward County, has already relocated its casino license to Miami-Dade.

Even though Miami Beach was not a party to the original lawsuit, the neighbouring city has now filed a “friend of the court” brief in opposition to a casino only 1.5 miles across the Venetian Causeway in downtown Miami. The brief argues that such a development would lead to “negative economic and social consequences”, draw tourists away from other businesses and increase crime and traffic congestion problems.