Bill to allow gaming courses dies in Senate

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 5, 2003

[03/05/03]A bill to allow gaming courses to be taught in Mississippi universities and colleges died Tuesday in a Senate committee.

“I think it’s a tragedy that the state can’t embrace the education of its own native workforce,” said Kim Tullos, vice president and general manager of Isle of Capri Casino Vicksburg.

The legislation, introduced annually, would have allowed the gaming-related courses such as specialized accounting and management. The bill also called for courses in repair and maintenance of slot machines but prohibited the teaching of card dealing or game playing.

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Tullos said it is disappointing that such a huge industry in the state is not supported in colleges or vocational schools.

In the last fiscal year, the industry paid $327 million in taxes. Mississippi ranks third among the nation’s largest casino venues.

Tullos said the Isle, which employees about 700 people in Vicksburg and operates three other casinos in the state, is desperate for qualified employees but is forced to look outside the state.

“We always start locally and when those efforts are exhausted or there is very little response we are forced to go to other venues,” she said. “It would be nice to have a local workforce to pull from.”

The legislation, which has not passed for the past five years, had been expected to die again this year by some Vicksburg legislators.

“It is a shame we can’t support education that would allow support workers to be hired,” said Rep. Chester Masterson, R-Vicksburg.

He said he would continue to support a bill limited to teaching management courses.

Masterson said the bill has been met in the Legislature with mixed feelings, a reason for its failure.

Vicksburg has four casinos including the Isle of Capri, which opened in August 1993; Harrah’s Casino and Hotel, which opened in November 1993; and Ameristar Casino and Hotel, which opened in February 1994; and Rainbow Casino Hotel, which opened in July 1994.