p align="left" style="margin-left:0in;text-align:left">Jack Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, La., continues to lead all riverboat operations in Louisiana and the former Las Vegas gaming executive wants to keep it that way.

Last week, his company announced that it was considering a new $50 million 200-room expansion to accommodate a steady flow of gamblers and hotel guests.

“During calendar year 2001,” said a company spokesman, “we had to turn down almost 100,000 requests for rooms because the hotel had no vacancies.” In February, the property managers said the hotel recorded a 96% occupancy rate for the month.

“That says we need more rooms,” said General Manager Larry Lepinski. “We don’t want to turn people away.”

Lepinski said he firmly believed “that adding more rooms will grow the market. We could increase gaming revenues $3 million to $4 million a month.” Typically, the property generates in excess of $20 million monthly.

The proposal sits well with area businesses. “The casinos drive the weekend market,” said a hotel association official, adding, “an additional 300 rooms would bring even more dollars to the area.”

If the project gets the go ahead from the company’s directors it’s expected the project would take a year to construct.