American Notes GAMBLING

Is Satan poised to invade the Bible Belt? Hell, yes, say Baptist ministers along the Mississippi, where TV spots recently carried the voice of a frantic mother begging for help from 911 to rescue her daughter from the evils of gambling. The source of the Baptists' consternation is a growing movement to revive riverboat casinos. They fear that the floating games will bring bawdy music, painted women and public intoxication. On the other side of this fire- and-brimstone debate are the chambers of commerce of such Mississippi River towns as Natchez and Vicksburg. They insist that legalizing games of chance on the river would create jobs and attract tourists to one of the nation's most depressed states.

So far, four Mississippi counties have rejected the floating crap tables and roulette wheels; three have approved them. State law gives each county its own option on whether to permit gambling, just as it does with alcohol. In fact, gaming has been readily available to Mississippians for years. Boats offering "dinner cruises" regularly leave Gulfport and Biloxi bound for international waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The slots and dice usually roll long before the boats reach the 12-mile limit.