SLIDELL, La. — St. Tammany Parish voters strongly rejected a proposition that would have let a new casino and resort to be built in Slidell.
WWL-TV projects that the proposition to allow Pacific Peninsula Entertainment to build a casino in Slidell was rejected by voters.
Parish voters were asked if they wanted to undo the 1996 ban on casino gambling in St. Tammany Parish and allow Pacific Peninsula Entertainment (also known as P2E) to build the $325 million casino resort in Slidell near Lake Pontchartrain.
Sixty percent of early voters said no to the proposition and that 60-to-40 margin held strong as more precincts reported their numbers.
"This wasn't a good thing for Slidell and now with this victory it's going to keep this stuff away for years to come," Pastor John Raymond, one of the casino's most outspoken opponents said.
Early polling showed that the parish was split from east to west. Voters in the eastern part of St. Tammany, where the casino would be built, were generally against it. Voters further away from the casino were largely for it.
More than $3 million was reportedly spent in advertising to get voters to support the casino with around $1 million spent fighting it.
"Both sides waged very strategic campaigns, but it's hard to change people's minds once they've made up their minds," WWL-TV political analyst Clancy Dubos said.
To see the full results from all the races, click here.
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