City officials in Gulfport, Mississippi hope to change the city’s casino regulations to match state requirements. Gulfport Director of Urban Development Greg Pietrangelo said currently the city current requires casinos to have a 400-room hotel, but the Mississippi Gaming Commission only stipulates 300 rooms. Also, the city allows a developer four years after approval from the Gulfport Planning Commission to open a hotel, but the state requires a casino development to have a hotel when it opens.
In addition, Gulfport requires a casino development must have at least seven acres of contiguous land adjacent to U.S. 90, the Mississippi Sound or the harbor. Up to 75 percent of the land can be covered by buildings.
Pietrangelo said if the proposals are adopted, Gulfport’s casino development rules would change when state regulations change. He said after the planning commission review on February 23, the proposal must be approved by the city council.
In March, the planning commission will consider Gulfport Gaming Development’s request for approval to use five lots totaling 10 acres at the Gulfport harbor for a $140 million casino.
