Casinos spend millions on campaign for and against new casinos

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ The two riverboat casinos docked at Baton Rouge and the company that wants to add a $250 million casino and resort spent almost $3 million last month on ads for Saturday's election.

Pinnacle Entertainment said it spent $1.5 million campaigning for ''yes'' votes; the two existing casinos said they spent nearly $1.4 million on ads, mail-outs and consultants to work for ''no'' votes.

''Just like a campaign that has two candidates slugging it out, I expect things to get really nasty the last 96 hours before the election,'' Michael Beychok, political consultant for the existing boats, said Saturday.

Most of Pinnacle's money went to consultant Roy Fletcher. He was paid $1.1 million to buy, produce and broadcast television and radio commercials during the 20 days ending Jan. 20, and $81,350 for direct-mail brochures.

The rest of its money went to other consultants, accountants, polling and administrative services.

The state constitution requires a parishwide referendum on any expansion of gambling, such as a new riverboat casino.

Rimes said existing riverboats lied in an ad accusing Pinnacle of trying to force an elderly woman to sell her land. He said the woman _ one of six heirs to the Chatsworth Plantation _ wants $3 million for 9.7 acres of batture land worth at best $11,000 per acre.

She is the only one of the heirs holding out for big bucks on the batture, the land on the river side of the levee, he said. At the direction of the Gaming Control Board, Pinnacle has taken the issue to court to have a judge identify the woman's 9.7-acre share so Pinnacle can develop its casino around it, Rimes said.

''Their whole campaign is nothing but lies. But that's okay. I'm going to turn Roy loose on them in these last few days,'' Rimes said.

Michael Beychok, political consultant for the existing boats, said Pinnacle is outspending his clients 2-1 on television ads, and will likely continue to do so.

He said the ''great Pinnacle land grab'' ad just says Pinnacle is trying to make the woman sell against her will.

Through Louisiana Casino Cruises, Hollywood Casino and its parent company, Penn National Gaming, reported spending nearly $693,000 last month on its campaign to keep Pinnacle out of East Baton Rouge Parish.

The other downtown riverboat, the Belle of Baton Rouge, reported spending $678,000 through Tropicana Casinos and Resorts.

Together, the two downtown riverboats reported spending $145,217 on direct mail brochures, and another $133,000 on television ads.

In addition, Tropicana reported spending $598,000 on a Jan. 24 media buy that included television and radio ads, and direct mail pieces.