How Is Harrah's In New Orleans Able To Operate On Land?

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I understand that a former governor may have granted a permit or two for personal gain...

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There were two chief reasons why the Louisiana public accepted the gambling measures: Roemer, the reformer, was expected to win re-election in 1991, so he would oversee the licensing; and Mississippi was legalizing casinos.

Edwards’ chief contribution to the gambling landscape was to authorize a single land-based casino at the site of the Rivergate, an obsolete convention center. The competitors for the right to operate the gambling hall made promises so lavish that the project went broke twice before finding its financial footing, thanks in part to a state tax break in 2001.

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Harrah's Jazz Co. has a 30-year pact with the state that includes a guarantee that it will have an absolute monopoly on land-based gambling. State law says that if that monopoly is breached, the casino operator can refuse the state its share of the proceeds--a minimum of $100 million a year that is being counted on to balance future state budgets.

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