Casino officials want tougher facility regulations

JACKSON — Mississippi regulators want new casinos to be sturdier and gambling space larger with better restaurants and hotels.

And the Mississippi Gaming Commission is ready to put the new requirements in writing.

The Sun Herald reports the Gaming Commission is accepting written comments on the regulations. Commission executive director Allen Godfrey says depending on the comments, regulators could vote on the changes in March.

The new regulations would raise the required number of hotel rooms from 250 to 300 and hotel quality from a two-star to a four-star.

New casino resorts would have to have a 40,000-square-foot or larger casino floor, space to park 500 cars, a restaurant that can seat at least 200 people and a fine-dining restaurant seating 75 or more under the new rules.