It’s an argument that to many smacks of the ridiculous – that rebuilding the Gulf Coast casinos a few hundred feet inland could somehow be ‘morally wrong’ - but a bill to change the law is now under consideration by the Mississippi legislature, and its passage will not be smooth. It is a politically sensitive debate with the need to weigh employment against strong opposition from religious groups. Whilst it may seem odd that a casino on dry land instead of over the water could be perceived as being more of a moral threat, the necessity of a law change could also be questioned. The big casino companies would doubtless rebuild over water if they have to.

Last Friday the House voted 60 to 53 in favour of allowing the casinos to be moved 800ft onshore. The bill was then sent to the Senate, where time ran out for debate. The issue will again be under discussion today when the senators reconvene in the afternoon. It is the first attempt in fifteen years to allow land-based casinos and the bill, if passed, would limit such construction to two coastal counties. Whichever way the vote goes, the casino companies will have to take full advantage of technological advances in construction techniques to ensure that their properties survive better under hurricane conditions. (E-10.03.05)

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