Gadsden County Puts Slot Machines on Primary Ballot

Voters in Gadsden County will get to say if the new horse barrel-racing and poker room facility coming to Gretna will also offer slot machines.

The Tallahassee Democrat is reporting that the Gadsden County Commission on Tuesday voted unanimously to include the referendumwith the Jan. 31, 2012, president preference primary.

If approved, the slot machines would be installed at the Creek Entertainment Gretna Racing center that is to open in a few weeks about 25 miles west of Tallahassee.

A provision in state law allows referendums to be held on slot machines for pari-mutuel facilities that hold a minimum number of events over a two-year period.

Gretna Racing intends to hold the minimum number of barrel racing events timed rodeo events where riders quickly round barrels in a cloverleaf pattern between Dec. 1 and Jan. 15. The poker room will be open year-round.

The entertainment facility is an effort by the Alabama-based Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which owns 70 percent of the Gretna facility and three casinos in Alabama, and developer David Romanik.

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