Tagged: casinos

A Texas company that built the frame for L'Auberge Baton Rouge has sued the casino's parent company and two executives for $1.9 million.

In a lawsuit filed in Livingston, Texas, Postel Industries Inc. claims money budgeted by Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. to pay Postel was kept or used for other purposes. The lawsuit names as defendants the company along with Chief Executive Officer Anthony Sanfilippo and Senior Vice President of Construction Kirk England.

The state Department of Children and Family Services has intercepted more than $806,000 in casino winnings from 599 parents to cover back child support payments.

Secretary Suzy Sonnier said Tuesday that the casino intercept initiative has been a very successful tool in collecting overdue support. The department says collections from 18 participating casinos range from a high of $106,771 from players at the Hollywood Casino in Baton Rouge to a low of $12,218 at Harrah's Louisiana Downs in Bossier City.

Officials of Ameristar Casino say construction of a $500 million casino is moving ahead on schedule and the development should open in 2014.

The American Press reports that since July, Ameristar has removed trees, set a building foundation and completed a road that allows construction workers access to the site of its casino hotel in south Lake Charles.

Ameristar Vice President Jack Mohn said the new casino's neighbor — Pinnacle Entertainment, owner of L'Auberge Casino Resort — has been accommodating.

Tropical Storm Isaac is closing at least a half-dozen casinos in Louisiana — four in the New Orleans area, one in Baton Rouge and one in Morgan City.

The Treasure Chest in suburban Kenner closed Monday afternoon, and Boomtown New Orleans was closing at 10 p.m. Monday. Harrah's Casino, the only state-regulated land casino in Louisiana, was closing a minute before midnight, and the Amelia Belle in Morgan City at midnight.

The opening of Baton Rouge's new $368 million casino has been delayed because of Tropical Storm Isaac.

L'Auberge Baton Rouge was scheduled to open Wednesday, but Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. announced Monday that it was postponing the grand opening. No rescheduled date was immediately announced.

Pinnacle says the storm has scrapped plans to do a mock cruise and diverted Louisiana State Police employees needed for the final inspection and for issuance of the final regulatory approval to open the casino.