Page 12 - MGHA Annual Report, 2023
P. 12

   Legalized Gaming Began in 1989
The Mississippi Gaming Control Act, which allowed dockside casinos to operate in coun- ties that approved them through a referendum, passed in 1990. It came on the heels of the Cruise Vessel Gaming Act of 1989, an act that first legalized gaming in the state and led to the “cruises to nowhere.”
Pioneers Came From Midwest
The first pioneers of dockside riverboat gaming did not come from Las Vegas or Atlantic City. But rather, Bernie Goldstein (often called the Father of Riverboat Gaming), Lyle Berman, Marlin Torguson, Rick Carter and Terry Green came from places like Iowa, Minnesota, Texas and Mississippi.
Steve Wynn Built Beau Rivage
Before
becoming an
MGM Resort
International
property, Beau
Rivage was
Steve Wynn’s
$700 million
casino resort in Biloxi. The resort opened in March 1999 with Wynn (second from left) cutting the ribbon.
Casinos Were Finally Allowed on Land
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Mississippi Gulf Coast and devastated the region. The state legislature voted to allow casinos to be built on land in the aftermath, which led to reinvestment by the gaming industry on the Gulf Coast and a remarkable recovery.
Hard Rock Opened Two Years Later
The first new casino on the Gulf Coast since 1999 was going to be Hard Rock Hotel and Casino with plans to open at the end of August 2005. Hurricane Katrina changed those plans. The property did finally open July 2007.
  Opening Day Was August 1, 1992
August 1, 1992 was the day the first legalized casino in the state opened. Isle of Capri Casino opened two riverboats in Biloxi. Former Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway once said that the region had never really recovered from Hurricane Camille (1969) until 1992.
  Splash Was Tunica’s First
Splash Casino was the first casino to open in Tunica, and initially had a $10 admission charge. Splash opened in October 1992.
Tunica Became Debt-Free
Tunica, once known as one of the poorest counties in the country, became the third largest gaming marketing in the United States in the late 1990s. The county became debt-free in 1995. At its height, there were as many as 10 casinos in Tunica; now there are six properties.
 There Were Five Casinos in Vicksburg
Isle of Capri was the first casino to open in Vicksburg in 1993. It was followed by Harrah’s (1993), then Ameristar Casino and Rainbow Casino (1994) and Riverwalk Casino Hotel (2008). Harrah’s became Horizon Casino before becoming Grand Station Casino and then closing in 2012. Isle of Capri and Rainbow underwent changes in ownership and names, and are now WaterView Casino Hotel and Bally’s Vicksburg, respectively.
    THIRTY YEARS OF GAMING
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