DEBARTOLO ENTERTAINMENT BACKS OUT OF LOUISIANA CASINO BOAT

          49ers Owner EDDIE DEBARTOLO JR.'s company, DeBartolo
     Entertainment, "is backing out of an ambitious riverboat
     casino project in Louisiana," according to Scott Winokur of
     the S.F. EXAMINER.  A DeBartolo spokesperson and gambling
     industry analysts said "the surprise announcement ...
     shouldn't be interpreted as a sign that" DeBartolo
     Entertainment "would punt away its gambling interests
     elsewhere."   DeBartolo spokesperson Sam Singer said the
     company had "no plans whatsoever" to drop other gambling
     investments.  Winokur reported that a top NFL official
     "hailed DeBartolo's decision to withdraw" from the $164M
     casino project the TX border.  But NFL VP/Communications Joe
     Brown "denied the league had any direct input."  Brown:
     "It's a positive step.  As far as I understand it, Mr.
     DeBartolo and his group made this decision on their own. 
     They were not forced to do so by the NFL."  DeBartolo did
     not comment directly on the pullout, but in a statement, his
     company cited "concerns" of the NFL (S.F. EXAMINER, 6/18).