Boyd says he was 'shocked' by neighborhood casino law

Boyd Gaming Corp. Chairman William Boyd told a state Senate committee today that "the ball was dropped" two years ago when a neighborhood casino law was passed omitting his plans for two casinos.

"I was shocked -- I thought we were exempted," Boyd told the Senate Judiciary Committee as he sought approval of Assembly Bill 522, which would amend a law passed in 1997 to stop the proliferation of neighborhood casinos.

The bill, which was unanimously passed by the Assembly, would allow Boyd Gaming to build two casinos in neighborhoods now generally off limits to more gaming.

Station Casinos Inc., which operates Texas Station and Boulder Station casinos near the locations where Boyd plans to build, opposes the measures.

Boyd officials noted, however, that Station Casinos was able to get an exemption from the 1997 law -- called Senate Bill 208 at the time -- to permit it to build across the street from Boyd's Sam's Town on Boulder Highway.

Area residents also opposed the exemption sought by Boyd, but for other reasons.

"SB208 was a huge step forward to preserve our neighborhoods," Ron Long of North Las Vegas said. "I don't believe we should sacrifice our neighborhoods."

"Quality of life diminishes" when casinos proliferate in neighborhoods, Linda Myers of the Northwest Area Residents Association said.

However Boyd had his supporters, among them the Culinary Union.

Courtney Alexander, representing the union, said that it appeared that those who got in under 1997's SB208 are now using the measure to "stifle the competition."

"We cannot believe this was intended by the authors of SB208," she said.

"We appeal to your sense of fairness," Don Snyder, president of Boyd Gaming, told the senators, who were scheduled to vote later today on the measure.

Last Thursday Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, said he would not schedule a hearing on the bill, only to reverse himself a day later.

James, however, still opposes the bill that he says will make "Swiss cheese" of legislation passed two years ago restricting construction of new casinos in certain neighborhoods.

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