A questionnaire sent to downtown property owners found that nearly two-thirds of respondents were in favor of a proposed moratorium on the establishment of new simulcasting and gaming facilities in Casper, Wyoming.
Concerns Over Downtown Character
According to Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Melissa Hugget, the survey asked property owners whether they were in favor of, against or undecided about the planned 180-day pause. Roughly 65% of responses said they supported the proposal, she said.
Hugget herself spoke in favor of the moratorium at a recent Casper City Council meeting, focusing on how additional gambling establishments would impact the downtown business area. Among her concerns were the additional strains on parking that new gaming establishments would create downtown. She also worried about the impact that such businesses would have on the character of the downtown community.
Support from Business Stakeholders
The proposed moratorium also found support in the business stakeholders of the Old Yellowstone District, City Manager Janine Jordan said. In a letter supporting the proposal, the OYD Advisory Committee wrote, “The gaming/gambling environment goes against every aspect that the Old Yellowstone District has been working to create as a live, work, and play destination.”
However, support for the moratorium was not unanimous at the council meeting. Speaking against it was attorney Affie Ellis with the firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, representing American gambling corporation Bally’s.
Ellis argued that the industry is not currently experiencing an “eruption” of growth, as others have characterized, and presented data showing only nominal increases in the number of actual gaming terminals on local floors over the last 14 months. Ellis said she believes the city’s existing zoning code already properly contemplates gaming as a use.
Next Steps
The moratorium will now move to a third and final vote before being officially adopted, which will come at the council’s July 7 regular meeting.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
