$80 million bet - Silver Slipper opens Thursday night

WAVELAND -- The owners of the Silver Slipper have spent $80 million to build a gambling palace at Bayou Caddy, where flourishes of old Vegas blend with contemporary stylings.

"It's got a bit of Western flair, but not cowboy," said John Ferrucci, the casino's general manager.

Crystal chandeliers eight feet wide hang over the table games from a barrel vault ceiling detailed with gold-leaf rosettes. The buffet is more casual, featuring wooden beams bowed like ribs and copper carved like flames.

But this isn't a design showcase. It's a place to gamble, eat and party.

BET founder, locals join Pinnacle pitch - but too late

HARRISBURG -- Pinnacle Entertainment Inc., the only Philadelphia casino applicant that didn't partner with local investors, tried to pull a last-minute maneuver yesterday to bolster its credibility on hometown and diversity issues.

Robert L. Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television and owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, signed on Tuesday night as an investor in Pinnacle's proposed casino.

But when Johnson prepared to testify before the state Gaming Control Board yesterday, Chairman Tad Decker was reminded by his staff that while Johnson and others can invest in Pinnacle, the board could not consider their role in the project when awarding licenses on Dec. 20 because the board had set Oct. 13 as the cut-off date for gaming applicants to add investors.

Pinnacle double downs its bet

Pinnacle Entertainment has raised the ante on its $430 million casino and hotel project at the downtown riverfront. The Las Vegas-based gaming company announced it is expanding the project, now named Lumire Place, to add more retail and residential space, which will double the company's total investment to nearly $1 billion.

"We did this because we wanted to create a neighborhood," Pinnacle Chairman and Chief Executive Daniel Lee said during a Thursday news conference to unveil the new name. "We need to persuade people to come back downtown."

The expansion was not part of the original project and it will be considered a separate phase from the hotel and casino currently being built, Lee said. The first phase is slated for completion in late 2007.