The 1st Jackpot Casino is the only Tunica casino without a hotel. The casino used to have a hotel, but it was demolished in 2017, along with the casino's former name, 'Bally's.' The newly-branded 1st Jackpot has 899 slot machines and video poker machines, 16 table games, a small sportsbook, and three restaurants.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Caesars Entertainment will close a second casino in Mississippi's Tunica County, as the region's years-long decline in gambling revenues continues to weigh on business. Blackjack quick reference card.
The Las Vegas-based casino behemoth announced Tuesday that it will close the Tunica Roadhouse Casino at the end of January, citing 'persistent declines in business levels in the area stemming from increased competition.'
The Las Vegas-based casino behemoth announced Tuesday that it will close the Tunica Roadhouse Casino at the end of January, citing 'persistent declines in business levels in the area stemming from. Serious gamblers know where to go! Horseshoe Tunica hotel & casino has the best gaming, entertainment dining and so much more in Tunica.
The move will leave the county just south of Memphis, Tennessee, with seven gambling halls. Caesars will keep open the 135-room hotel attached to Tunica Roadhouse, operating it with its neighboring Horseshoe Tunica hotel and casino.
Regional president Scott Barber said in a statement that the move was an effort 'to appropriately position our business for the current market opportunity and ensure the long-term viability of our remaining operations in the vicinity.'
The Mississippi Gaming Commission reported in October that Tunica Roadhouse had 377 casino employees and 36 hotel employees. Caesars said employees would get hiring preferences at other company-owned casinos including the neighboring Horseshoe, and that workers who are laid off would get job search assistance and training. Some employees at Tunica Roadhouse are unionized, and Barber didn't immediately respond to questions about whether the company was bargaining with the union.
Caesars closed the massive Harrah's Tunica Hotel & Casino in 2014 when it was in bankruptcy. The company shed $16.3 billion in debt while it was being reorganized before emerging last year.
Casinos In Tunica Mississippi 2020
Tunica County boomed when gambling was legalized in 1992, becoming the only gambling destination for hundreds of miles. But employment at casinos peaked at 13,000 jobs in 2001, falling to less than 5,000 now, and revenues have been falling since 2006. Tunica Roadhouse has the smallest casino floor among its competitors and the fewest slot machines.
Tunica has suffered in part because of increased gambling competition in Arkansas and other states. Arkansas voters earlier this month approved a referendum allowing four full-fledged casinos, including one at Southland Park Gaming and Racing in nearby West Memphis. Arkansas tax figures show Southland won $222 million from gamblers in the 12 months ended June 30, up more than 50 percent since 2014.
Hollywood Casino Tunica
The closure means less tax revenue for state and local governments. Tunica County has struggled with declining tax revenue, with county supervisors having to step in and subsidize a full-time fire department that protects the unincorporated area of the county that includes the casinos because property tax collections fell after Harrah's closed.
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Haas t-slot guide rail. Follow Jeff Amy at http://twitter.com/jeffamy
By Becky Gillette • Photography by Austin Britt
A ghost town could once again be a thriving center for jobs and entertainment if plans proceed to re-open the Harrah's Casino Tunica, formerly known as the Grand Casino Tunica. It is a 2,200-acre property that once housed three hotels, several restaurants, a 2,500-seat event center, a RV park, a convention center, and a spa and salon.
Citing decreasing business, Harrah's Casino Tunica and its related amenities closed in June 2014, and the casino was demolished.Later, the property was purchased for back property taxes by a Clearwater, Fl., company named TJM Properties. TJM currently has plans to sell the property to the Tunica Hospitality Group, which hopes to reopen the facility.
'Everything is going forward,' says Tunica County Board Attorney John Keith Perry, Jr.'There has been a petition filed by TJM in Tunica County Chancery Court to clarify action taken by the Tunica County Board of Supervisors that voided the tax sale on the property. The petition asks if the Board's actions in voiding the tax sale on that property was legal.'
The property was abandoned by Harrah's when it went into bankruptcy. The property was later purchased for taxes by TJM.Perry said TJM was unaware that separate payments on infrastructure bonds for the property were also due.
Tunica Casino Flooding 2018 Today
'Whenever TJM bought property, their understanding was that they only had to pay ad valorem taxes and weren't aware of the separate special assessment,' Perry says.'After finding out special assessments were made, the purchasers paid ad valorem taxes and the special assessment. There was some misunderstanding between the Tax Assessor's office and TJM.TJM's understanding was that they had to pay all the bills at one time.'
Perry says the Tunica County Board of Supervisors felt it would be less than fair for TJM to lose the property because of some miscommunication about how and where the special assessment fees for the Diamond Lake Utility District should be paid, so the Board set aside the particular tax sale in that instance.
'The TJM petition says if voiding of the tax sale is not proper, they would like to have 30 days to make this special assessment payment,' Perry says. 'They want to make sure their rights are protected.We responded to the pleading and are waiting to see how the court interprets it.'
Perry says in the process of investigating purchasing the property, the Tunica Hospitality Group learned that the area could be in what is construed as an urban renewal zone. FEMA declared the area an urban renewal zone due to Mississippi River flooding in 2016. The property qualified even though it had been abandoned since 2014.
A ghost town could once again be a thriving center for jobs and entertainment if plans proceed to re-open the Harrah's Casino Tunica, formerly known as the Grand Casino Tunica. It is a 2,200-acre property that once housed three hotels, several restaurants, a 2,500-seat event center, a RV park, a convention center, and a spa and salon.
Citing decreasing business, Harrah's Casino Tunica and its related amenities closed in June 2014, and the casino was demolished.Later, the property was purchased for back property taxes by a Clearwater, Fl., company named TJM Properties. TJM currently has plans to sell the property to the Tunica Hospitality Group, which hopes to reopen the facility.
'Everything is going forward,' says Tunica County Board Attorney John Keith Perry, Jr.'There has been a petition filed by TJM in Tunica County Chancery Court to clarify action taken by the Tunica County Board of Supervisors that voided the tax sale on the property. The petition asks if the Board's actions in voiding the tax sale on that property was legal.'
The property was abandoned by Harrah's when it went into bankruptcy. The property was later purchased for taxes by TJM.Perry said TJM was unaware that separate payments on infrastructure bonds for the property were also due.
Tunica Casino Flooding 2018 Today
'Whenever TJM bought property, their understanding was that they only had to pay ad valorem taxes and weren't aware of the separate special assessment,' Perry says.'After finding out special assessments were made, the purchasers paid ad valorem taxes and the special assessment. There was some misunderstanding between the Tax Assessor's office and TJM.TJM's understanding was that they had to pay all the bills at one time.'
Perry says the Tunica County Board of Supervisors felt it would be less than fair for TJM to lose the property because of some miscommunication about how and where the special assessment fees for the Diamond Lake Utility District should be paid, so the Board set aside the particular tax sale in that instance.
'The TJM petition says if voiding of the tax sale is not proper, they would like to have 30 days to make this special assessment payment,' Perry says. 'They want to make sure their rights are protected.We responded to the pleading and are waiting to see how the court interprets it.'
Perry says in the process of investigating purchasing the property, the Tunica Hospitality Group learned that the area could be in what is construed as an urban renewal zone. FEMA declared the area an urban renewal zone due to Mississippi River flooding in 2016. The property qualified even though it had been abandoned since 2014.
'The Tunica Hospitality Group came to the Board in 2017 with a plan to finance reopening the property through urban renewal bonds.' Perry says.'There would be a lot of benefits to the county having that property out there opened up again. There are hotels, restaurants, golf courses, a trap shooting property, and a lot of other nice things out there on those 2,200 acres. The longer the property sits, its value depreciates as it is just sitting there collecting mold. With this project, the idea is to reinvigorate the property to revitalize it.'
Plans call for adding amenities like a water park and amphitheater.
Perry said the Tunica County Board of Supervisors has expressed a belief in what the Tunica Hospitality Group is trying to do.
Map Of Tunica Casinos
'The Board has an interest in the reopening of a facility that could provide jobs for the citizens of the county,' Perry says. 'Likewise, the Board wants the economic development of that area. The casino industry has experienced some positive moves this year including the addition of sports gambling, and those types of things seem to be increasing traffic at Tunica County casinos. We believe the Tunica Hospitability Group has a plan in place that can help develop the county further as a destination for tourists and for the weekend gambler, the vacationing gambler, or the vacationing family.'
Perry is hopeful the deal goes through because he thinks it will be good for all parties.
Tunica Casinos And Hotels
'The Tunica County Supervisors and the Tunica County Administrator have done a tremendous job to do whatever it takes to develop the county economically,' Perry says.'There have been a lot of efforts in that regards as it relates to the Harrah's project.'
