NATION IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Casino Idea Floated to Spur Economy

Casino gambling in the nation’s capital? It could help pay for a half-billion-dollar convention center and spur economic development, an aide to Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly said. But it’s far from a sure thing. “It’s one of five possibilities” for financing the proposed convention center, said Kelly spokesman Vada Manager. “This is a debate over high-paying jobs.” George W. Brown, assistant city administrator for economic development, and District of Columbia lottery board officials recently attended a mayors’ conference in New Orleans, where a casino is being built. “We’re looking at it in a very serious manner,” Brown told the Washington Post.