Players Gets Preliminary OK on Riverboat Casino

Players International Inc. said it has received preliminary approval from the Louisiana Riverboat Gaming Commission to operate a riverboat casino on Lake Charles in the southwestern part of the state.

If final approval is received, the riverboat would begin operations in about a year, Players said.

The Louisiana casino would be the second riverboat casino for Players. Last month, the Calabasas-based company, which in the past mainly marketed travel packages for gambling resorts, opened a riverboat in Metropolis, Ill.

For the new operations, Players said it has secured a long-term lease on a hotel that will feature a Merv Griffin’s Bar and Grill, lounges, gift shops and a ticketing center. Gamblers would board the boat via a dock by the hotel.

Griffin is a partner in the Illinois and Louisiana riverboat ventures.

Players said it is negotiating for construction of the boat, which it expects to accommodate up to 1,400 passengers, 700 slot and video poker machines, and 40 game tables.