According to preliminary numbers, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians voted 1,449 to 654 against opening the Red Water Casino. Only the Red Water community approved the casino in a 133-60 vote. The Tribal Election Commission said 2,197 votes must be cast for the election to be valid.
The Red Water Casino would have been the tribe’s fourth. Currently the 11,000-member tribe owns the Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos in Choctaw, Mississippi and the Bok Homa Casino near Laurel.
Chief Phyliss J. Anderson had promoted a new casino for several years. She had said it would generate $50 million in annual revenue and provide 250 new jobs. In January the Tribal Council supported her recommendation. Tribal Council member Barry McMillan, who pushed for the referendum, said a study showed a new casino would cannibalize $18 million from the two in Choctaw, just 23 miles away. He had questioned why the casino would have been built in Anderson’s hometown, and prior to the election, questioned its fairness since the ballot contained a financial analysis he considered pro-casino. McMillan also noted the Tribal Election Committee rejected his request for election observers. “We want fairness in the election process but we keep getting chopped down like trees,” he said.
Anderson had acknowledged the new casino’s impact but said it still would offer a net gain of $31 million. She added an independent study indicated Red Water was the best location for the new casino. Also, she had stated no casino jobs would be lost; in fact new jobs would be created. “With the growing population and over 50 percent of the population under 25, the need for jobs is there, but what this casino will allow us to do is to use those funds to reinvest back into the tribe for government services,” Anderson said.
Following the vote, Anderson released this statement:
“Today, members of the tribe voted in a special referendum election on the Red Water Casino. The preliminary results show that the will of the people is not to expand in the Red Water community and I respect the decision of our voters. My commitment to our tribe and people is to always do what I feel is in the best interest of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. We will continue to explore other opportunities to build on our existing success for our tribe.”
