Gaming Briefs -- May 10, 1999

STRIP MEGARESORT

More Venetian rooms open

County building inspectors cleared another 23 floors of the Venetian's hotel tower for occupancy over the weekend, raising to about 2,400 the number of suites the resort can rent to visitors.

The inspectors also issued temporary certificates of occupancy for a jewelry shop and five restaurants, Ron Lynn, assistant director of the Clark County Building Inspectors Department, said today.

"The graphics panel, or the control panel for the life-safety management system, was successfully integrated into the system and the tests went well," he said. "A few corrections were necessary and they were implemented.

"That control panel is an absolute necessity for the fire department, which is currently working on individual device checking -- alarms, smoke detectors and the like -- above the 27th floor," Lynn said.

"We expect the fire department inspections to be complete by Tuesday or Wednesday, and then we can do our inspections."

Venetian officials couldn't be reached for comment this morning.

The $1.5 billion Renaissance Venice-themed hotel-casino has been plagued with malfunctioning life- and fire-safety systems, including smoke-extraction equipment that drew smoke the wrong way.

The Venetian had a "soft" opening early Tuesday after inspectors rushed to approve at least 200 suites for occupancy. State law requires a resort to have at least that many rooms available before it can begin operating its casino.

Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson demanded the resort's construction manager, Lehrer McGovern Bovis Inc., meet a May 3 deadline for opening ceremonies, although LMB had requested a late June date.

Aside from the casino and suites, many of the Venetian's attractions are still under construction, including more than half the restaurants and the Grand Canal Shoppes retail area.

LOUISIANA RIVERBOATS

Gaming tax hike proposed

BATON ROUGE, La. -- A plan to raise the pay of teachers would be financed in part by raising taxes on Louisiana's riverboat casinos, a newspaper reported.

The Times-Picayune in New Orleans reported there is also a bill to lower the number of required cruises for each riverboat casino from 2,900 to 250 a year.

Rep. John Alario, D-Westwego, is proposing a bill lowering cruising requirements that would take effect only if the Legislatures raises riverboat casino taxes by 1 percentage point next year, a fellow lawmaker said.

The fellow lawmaker, Rep. Danny Martiny, R-Kenner, favors lowering the cruise requirement without tying it to a tax hike.

MOTOR CITY CASINO

Detroit casino receives its name

DETROIT -- The Circus Circus-Atwater temporary casino under construction will be named the "Motor City Casino," the Detroit News reported.

The two other temporary casinos opening in Detroit this year already have their names: MGM Grand Detroit Casino and Greektown Casino.

Motor City Casino is being built in a former bakery on the outskirts of downtown Detroit.

Motor City is owned by Detroit Entertainment Inc., a joint venture between Las Vegas casino operator Circus Circus Enterprises Inc. and Atwater Entertainment of Detroit.

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