Posted on Thu, May. 08, 2008

BILOXI -- Gov. Haley Barbour said today he will call up the bill to place a moratorium on casinos during the upcoming Special Session, but will only call the tax incentive bill for casinos to invest in non-gambling tourism projects if it has the needed support.

"If it looks like we can get an agreement, then we will," he said of House Bill 1196, which would give casinos the same tax incentives afforded all other business in the state to invest in non-gambling tourism developments like hotels, museums and water parks. The bill passed the House by a 79-40 vote but died in the Senate.

Senate Bill 2199, the moratorium on casinos, was narrowly defeated during the regular session but Barbour said at today's Southern Gaming Summit that he hopes to get enough votes to limit casinos to the counties where they are already located.

Read more about the final day of the Southern Gaming Summit in Friday's Sun Herald.