This is great news for the Biloxi and Mississippi Gulf Coast areas. I found this article amazing consider the closing and travel fears of tourists due to hurricane season. Here is some of the article:
August was a record-breaker for the Coast casinos despite hurricanes Fay and Gustav.
The numbers released Wednesday by the Mississippi State Tax Commission were surprising considering the casinos were shut down starting on Sunday, Aug. 31, during Labor Day weekend as Hurricane Gustav approached. Still, the 11 Coast casinos had gross casino revenues of $112.1 million, which topped the previous record set last August of $108.6 million, although it was slightly lower than July’s $115.6 million revenue.
The original numbers posted by the Mississippi State Tax Commission on Wednesday that showed even higher revenue for the Coast casinos were incorrect. “We made a mistake,” said Kathy Waterbury, director of communications for the Tax Commission. “We got it corrected.”
Larry Gregory, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission said despite the slow economy and high fuel prices, the Gulf Coast market continues to defy the pessimists. The numbers would have been even higher if Gustav hadn’t come on Labor Day.
Ike is casuing some flooding in the Gulf of Mexico and some parts of US 90 are closed due to high waters and flooding. However it has been confirmed that all Biloxi Casinos are still open.
If we get any other updates regarding status, we will post here.
According to the Sun Herald, looks like the City Council approved waterfront for gaming…
Virtually the entire East Biloxi waterfront north of U.S. 90 is now zoned for casinos, but that doesn’t mean more will be built.
The City Council on Tuesday approved waterfront zoning, which includes casinos, for 53 acres north of the beach highway between the Small Craft Harbor and Kuhn Street. Councilman George Lawrence, who represents the area, was the lone opponent. Councilman Tom Wall chose not to vote because he also opposed the project, but said he did not want to hurt property owners who pressed for the rezoning.
Lawrence said the zoning will allow a potential developer to once again “pound” the Gaming Commission for approval to locate a casino on the property, which includes the former site of the Tivoli Hotel, where a casino proposal already has been rejected. The commission has said it will not allow casinos across from the sand beach.
This is some of the excerpts we took from the Sun Herald regarding the reopening of the casinos in Biloxi after Hurricane Gustav.
BILOXI — Harrison County casinos can reopen today starting at 7 a.m.
Mississippi Gaming Commission executive director Larry Gregory came to the Coast on Tuesday and said if the casinos have completed their checklists that “we will reopen them.”
The checklist includes permission from the fire marshal, the Department of Health and all other approvals, along with the proviso that security and surveillance are operational.
“I expect the majority will be ready to open in the morning,” he said Tuesday night.
The Gaming Commission determines when the casinos can reopen, but doesn’t have authority over the hotels.
IP Casino opened its hotel, some of its restaurants and supporting operations on Tuesday and plans to reopen its casino today.
Beau Rivage announced that it will open its casino floor at 9 a.m.
“We let the casinos know on Saturday night” they needed to have patrons out by 7 a.m. and be completely locked down by 3 p.m., Gregory said. That coincided with the 3 p.m. evacuation orders from Harrison and Hancock County and many of the casinos closed earlier than required.
“We have done this for 15 years,” Gregory said, and that Mississippi casinos have never had an injury or death due to hurricanes. “We take it very seriously.”
