The state Racing and Gaming Commission today approved a 100-million dollarexpansion project for the Harveys Casino Hotel in Council Bluffs. Harveysmanager Vern Welch says the expansion will include 512 new slot machines and17 table games on the casino boat. It will also expand the hotel, parkingand convention facilities on land.Welch told the commission all of Harveys facilities are filled to capacityand gamblers don’t want to wait for the crowd to clear.Welch says they’ve lost some 330 convention bookings due to a lack of space.The expansion was opposed by the “Truth About Gambling Coalition.” Coalitionspokesman Robert Miller.Miller says the promise of new jobs doesn’t tell the whole story about theincrease in problem gambling the expansion will also bring.The commission approved the expansion on a four to zero vote with onecommissioner absent. Welch says an exact timetable for the expansion willbeset now that the commission has given its approval.
