Some say 'racino,' others casino

Conrad Defiebre, Star Tribune
January 23, 2005

Minnesota's debate over gambling took a couple of sharp turns last week with state approval of a harness racing track in Anoka County and news of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's widening net of negotiations for a new casino in the Twin Cities.

The $47 million harness track plan emerged without fanfare from the little-watched Minnesota Racing Commission, which had rejected it as recently as last October. But the commission's vote had barely been recorded before House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, was talking of adding a casino to what is now 165 acres of hay and scrub trees in Columbus Township near Forest Lake).

That would go along with the casino -- or "racino" -- the House has been pushing for the Canterbury Park track in Shakopee. Together, the two gambling emporia might produce the hundreds of millions of dollars a year that House Republicans think they need to balance the state budget for the next two years.

Pawlenty has been pushing another way to corral a major chunk of cash -- new agreements with casino-rich tribes in the southern half of Minnesota. But they have snubbed the governor, so he has turned to impoverished northern tribes, who would like to set up slots closer to population centers, and to the Ghermezian brothers, who envision a mega-casino at the Mall of America much like the one at their big mall in Edmonton, Alberta. The Ghermezians own 50 percent of the Bloomington mall.

All this activity has left the rich tribes, Bloomington officials, DFL politicians -- all opposed to expanding gambling -- and even the harness track promoters -- who say they aren't thinking about a casino yet -- somewhat dazed. But this is an issue that isn't likely to go away this legislative session.