Casino gambling, as a moth, dances close to the legislative

Many gambling bills and proposals are on the table, tinkering with various facets of the state's Gaming Control laws. While several, ostensibly, could help the industry - allowing Coast casinos to build permanent structures under their barges, allowing off-track race betting - some aim at a direct hit on casino profits and others are just vague enough to be scary, bringing forward the proper "code sections" to allow lawmakers to do anything from taking another run at outlawing gambling (unlikely) to taxing the bejeezus out of it (quite likely). Others, such as a move to shift tax-calculating authority from the Gaming Commission to the Tax Commission, have the gambling lobbyists baffled and fearful, poking around trying to root out any hidden agendas. During one discussion in the House Gaming Committee this week, a Coast delegate suggested a move to create a special tax/fee system for race betting, should it be allowed. Gaming Chairman Bobby Moak warned that lawmaker: "Be careful what you jump on. It might turn out to be a wild ride." He suggested leaving the same old 12-percent state tax in place for any new casino venture, otherwise, someone might start creating new tax/fee schedules for all sorts of things. One bill that appears to be picking up a little steam - and churning up the casino-interest stomach acid - is a proposal to require casinos to take out delinquent child-support payments from the winnings of deadbeat dads. Casino leaders wonder how their employees would be able to track and enforce something that has appeared to stump the state's child-welfare agencies. Stay tuned. The 2005 legislative session probably will be a wild ride for casinos. In other matters, the Democratic House leadership is gearing up for another run at passing a cigarette tax to fund Medicaid, a proposal that failed in one vote at the beginning of the session. By Friday, some apparent strong-arm tactics were being used on GOP members and others who defeated the tax hike. They had already started squealing a little, crying dirty pool and saying they were getting some not-so-veiled threats that they better get on board with the tax or else. Dems reported that some anti-taxers appear to be caving. The next cigarette tax vote, if it comes up, should be telling, a show of who and what really rules the House. Political editor Geoff Pender can be reached at capitalbureau@aol.com or at (601) 354-8890.