The Pinnacle Entertainment South Baton Rouge riverboat casino is going to operate inland on a large pond and not directly on the Mississippi River.

Wade Hundley said that it was because of space limitations and the layout of the property. The company wants to place the riverboat in a large artificial pond created between both rivers.

The arrangement will be a significant departure from the way Louisiana casinos are required to operate. State regulators are examining the proposal to build the 250 million dollar casino-hotel resort near the Mississippi River that could open by late 2009. The date for the decision was not released.