Poarch Band confident casino will survive economy

Tuesday, January 6, 2009  

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians opens a new casino today but tribal leaders don't think the nation's economic woes will affect business.

The $240 million Wind Creek Casino and Hotel only offers Class II games. Tribes with more lucrative Class III games are seeing drops in revenue.

"We have heard rumblings of trouble in Philadelphia, Miss. We don't believe that will happen here because we have a great location along Interstate 65, and we can pull gamers from Pensacola and Mobile," council member David Gehman told The Mobile Press-Register, referring to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, which announced the elimination of 570 casino jobs on Monday.

Poarch Creek Chairman Buford Rolin said the tribe would like to offer Class III games but Gov. Bob Riley (R) won't negotiate. "The governor did visit us about eight weeks ago, and admired the hotel. I didn't push it," Rolin said of the issue.

The state filed a lawsuit to prevent the tribe from Class III games but a federal judge rejected it as premature.

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