Casino Supporters Win Key Round in Court

Supporters of gambling in Hawaiian Gardens have begun chipping away at a lawsuit that has stalled construction of a voter-approved casino in the city.

Lawyers representing the City Council and the casino landowner heralded last week’s Los Angeles Superior Court ruling that the council did not violate state environmental laws when it licensed the card club.

Saying that the issuance of a gambling license does not constitute a full-scale project, Superior Court Judge Diane Wayne rejected gambling opponents’ charge that the club required a detailed environmental review.

Beryl Weiner, attorney for club licensee Irving Moskowitz, said the ruling brings the city one step closer to the gambling proceeds it desperately needs. But he acknowledged that club opponents--among them other casinos in the area--have presented other legal barriers that still must be cleared.