With casinos slated to open in neighboring Philadelphia, Delaware legislators are left pondering how to deal with their own gambling and casinos issues.

Facilities for gambling and casinos contributed $199.6 million into Delaware’s state coffers in 2005, and are expected to put in at least $205 million in 2006. However, lawmakers wonder how the expansion of legalized gambling and casinos in its closest neighbor to the north will affect Delaware’s own revenues.

The Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council had predicted that up to $5 million in gambling and casinos revenue will be lost to Pennsylvania next year, with that number jumping to $32 million in 2008.

“DEFAC’s analysis is based on where the patrons live who cash tickets that were taxable,” said lobbyist Robert L. Byrd, the panel’s chairman.

Governor Ruth Ann Miller plans to sign legislation that would allow the state’s racetracks stay open longer, and feature more types of gaming. She believes that these measures will stem the tide of revenue loss in the coming years.

However, Delaware- based lobbyists for the gambling and casinos industry say that this will not be sufficient; they advocate building new casinos in Wilmington, or legalizing new forms of gambling.

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Hooters has now joined the casino gaming business, with its first casino gaming center and adjoining hotel located near the Las Vegas Strip.

The casino gaming center and hotel will have 696 rooms, with nine restaurants and bars. The Hooters complex is located at the site of the former Hotel San Remo, which was built in 1973 and has been run for the last 17 years as a family business belonging to the Izumis, of Japan. The deal between the Izumi family and Hooters calls for the family to retain ownership of one- third of the revitalized property.

The casino gaming center and hotel will have the same saucy image as Hooters’ other businesses, which feature well- endowed women in skimpy uniforms. Hooters has 400 restaurants in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Asia and the Caribbean, plus a commercial airline.

Ed Droste, one of Hooters’ original founding members, said that he is very optimistic about the international chain’s ventures into the casino gaming business.

“The Hooters customer is already a Vegas kind of customer. They’re a little punky, they’re a little high energy, they’re looking for a getaway - and all of those things just match up,” he said.

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Unlike some of the Pennsylvania towns deemed to be the best casino sites by developers, the residents of Chester, PA are totally ecstatic at the possibility of becoming one of the state’s best casino sites.

This old mining town, which is around seven miles away from the Philadelphia International Airport, has been chosen by the Las Vegas- based Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., as a site for its proposed casino. Harrah’s is the biggest casino company in the world, and the owner of some of the best casino sites.

Chester’s residents see the opportunity to be host to one of the nation’s best casino sites as a beacon of light on a dark horizon. This city’s poverty rate is almost three times higher than the statewide average figure, and unemployment is soaring. Being the destination of millions of projected best casino site tourists, most Chester residents believe, could lift the town out of the economic dumps.

Harrah has promised to, if granted the license, create at least 800 new jobs. It has also promised to add at least $10 million in revenues to the city’s impoverished coffers. A 700,000 foot casino site is planned.

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All of Washington D.C., aflutter with news of corrupt lobbyist and casino consultant Jack Abramoff’s indictment, has been rushing to make sure to clean their hands of guilt by association.

As many as 20 Congressmen and Congresswomen and their aides may have been involved in Abramoff’s scheme to extort money from Indian casinos by posing as a do- gooder casino consultant while actually stealing millions of dollars.

The list of politicians who received funds from the disgraced casino consultant goes all the way to the very top. President Bush, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and DeLay’s successor Roy Blunt all received campaign donations, which they will return in full or in part.

The Bush-Cheney 2004 re-election campaign received $100,000 in funds raised by the casino consultant, who was a close associate of the duo. Yesterday, President Bush announced plans to give back only $6,000 of that sum- the $6,000 that his aides have determined was contributed by Abramoff more or less directly.

The Bush administration has decided to return only $6,000 of the Abramoff- tainted contributions because, as a senior spokesperson put it, “At this point, there is nothing to indicate that contributions from [the rest of the donors] represents anything other than enthusiastic support for the (Bush-Cheney) 04 re-election campaign.”

DeLay announced that he will give an unspecified portion of the campaign contributions he received from casino consultant to charity. Blunt will also return funds; he will give all of the $8,500 he received from Abramoff over a period of four years to charity.

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