Steve Wynn's Busy Life

As more people understand the costs, impacts and community devastation caused by Predatory Gambling, the wealthy Casino Vultures circle more communities and promote continued EXPANSION as if local discretionary income is unlimited.

Steve Wynn is also promoting his Fools' Gold in Foxborough to further enrich himself.

Interesting!


Miami Beach
New proposal to the Miami Beach casino mix may help save the city’s convention center
By David Smiley The Miami Herald

Miami Beach’s anti-casino stance could intensify, or wane, Wednesday depending on a proposed vote on gaming.

On the eve of a largely symbolic but politically important gaming vote by Miami Beach officials, a co-sponsor of the bill that would usher in destination casino resorts to South Florida said he might sweeten the deal to make it less threatening to Miami Beach.

Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, said Tuesday that he would consider requiring casino operators to forego convention space and instead make a contribution to the Miami Beach Convention Center if an economic study found that casino resorts in downtown Miami would hurt business on the Beach.

Fresen’s proposal: Instead of building a convention center in the casino resort “why not contribute money toward the revitalization of the convention center on Miami Beach?” he said. “Nothing in the bill precludes that conversation from happening. Matter of fact, I think it encourages it.”

Fresen made the comments during a Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce forum on gaming Tuesday night, one day before a scheduled Miami Beach Commission vote on whether to continue opposing casino resorts in Miami Beach and urge the Florida Legislature to reject Fresen’s bill.

Miami Beach commissioners have repeatedly opposed casinos during the last three years, and Mayor Matti Herrera Bower, who attended the forum, said she expects commissioners to reiterate that stance Wednesday.

“We need to say no and see what happens,” she said.

But Fresen’s suggested amendment — should it actually happen — would likely alleviate one of Miami Beach’s major concerns associated with the specter of luxurious casinos across the bay: that they would run the city’s famed convention center out of business.

Miami Beach is currently seeking investors to help pay for a $640 million convention center expansion project that could also include a hotel and commercial space. Regional tourism and business leaders have said the improvements are needed to once again attract larger conventions that have looked elsewhere as the facility has aged and other convention centers have expanded.

The city is currently meeting with developers. Bower even met with Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn, who according to the mayor offered to pay for the entire convention center expansion, if a Wynn casino were approved.

But as the Beach seeks investors, there are plans for competing convention space in Miami.

Genting Group’s proposed resort at The Miami Herald site includes a sprawling ballroom, and the Las Vegas Sands has discussed building a casino resort in downtown Miami that would include 1.5 million square feet of convention space.

Fresen, who sponsored a bill a year ago that would have brought funding to both the Miami Beach Convention Center and the Miami Dolphins, said he remains a supporter of the Beach’s convention center expansion plans and said casino resorts need to have “a holistic” positive economic impact to the region.

His comments, however, weren’t met with enthusiasm by Andy Abboud, Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s vice president of government relations.

Abboud said requiring a new casino operator to contribute to the Miami Beach Convention Center would be like “requiring the new Winn-Dixie to subsidize the old Publix.”

“I don’t know what standing they would have to ask for that,” said Abboud, who said the Sands’ convention center model would work in “synergy” with the Miami Beach Convention Center. “It’s just an unprecedented request.”

Also, requiring casino operators to fund improvements at the Miami Beach Convention Center won’t address concerns from the city’s business owners and activists that casinos would eat into business, raise crime and clog already congested streets.

Outside the gaming forum, a group of about two dozen protestors chanted: “Genting go home,” and waved anti-casino signs.

Frank Del Vecchio, a South Beach activist who organized the rally after learning that Bower met with Wynn, said casinos are a threat to all of Miami Beach and said any city commissioners who don’t oppose casinos should be recalled.

“We want to give the commissioners a spine,” he said. “And there will be retaliation politically at the ballot box ... if commissioners actually made a deal with Steve Wynn.”

While most Miami Beach commissioners have recently said that they continue to oppose casinos, several have indicated that the city needs to remain involved in discussions as Fresen’s bill works its way through the Legislature rather than simply saying no to casinos.