Dania Jai Alai Slot Machines Approved

The city’s Planning and Zoning Board has approved the development agreement for the new Dania Jai Alai this week. The slot machine casino will not open until 2008, but they got a huge jump on it with this approval. When completed, the casino complex will have 1,500 slot machines, as well as poker tables, restaurants, nightclubs and bars, as well as a 1,000 seat jai alai fronton.

The new slot machines will cost the owners, Boyd Gaming, $200 million to complete the complex, but the company feels it is a worthwhile investment. With Dania Beach’s commissioners behind them, they feel they cannot lose. The slot machine and gambling company did not have to go before the board because of a state gaming statue that allows the pari-mutuels to make changes to their existing locations, but chose to in order to make the city and its community happier. It truly shows that the company is looking to make friends with the addition of the slot machines, and try to keep everyone happy.

The law states that pari-mutuels “…shall receive approval unless the municipality or county is able to show that the proposed improvement presents a justifiable and immediate hazard to the health and safety of municipal or county residents.''

The Mayor felt that the slot machine company had done a “nice job trying to satisfy the needs of the community and to bypass the traffic. It's a difficult situation because you're never going to make everyone happy . . . I just want to make sure everyone has had their say.''

Boyd is hoping to receive approval on their slot machine license soon, and start construction on the new slot machine casino next spring. They would then plan on opening in the fall of 2008 if all goes as planned.

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