Mississippi became the third state in the United States to legalize riverboat gambling when the Legislature passed the Mississippi Gaming Control Act in 1990. Mississippi law called for riverboat casinos to be built on docked barges along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast, making the term "riverboat gambling" a misnomer. State law was changed in 2005 to allow its riverboat casinos to be built on land within 800 feet of a shoreline to expedite the Gulf Coast's recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
Las Vegas Developer Steve Wynn opened the Beau Rivage in 1999 as the largest casino hotel in the United States outside of Nevada. The complex became an MGM Mirage property a year later with the merger of Wynn's company with MGM Mirage. The 32-story hotel is the tallest building in Mississippi and the property is the biggest employer in the state with nearly 4,000 employees. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed the casino and damaged parts of the hotel, the rebuilt and renovated property reopened Aug. 29, 2006, the one-year anniversary of the storm. The 85,000-square-foot casino features more than 2,000 slot machines, nearly 100 table games and a 16-table poker room.
Beau Rivage Resort and Casino
875 Beach Blvd.
Biloxi, MS 39530
(228) 386-7111
beaurivage.com
Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis, about 40 miles east of New Orleans, Louisiana, opened in 1992 as Casino Magic. Penn National Gaming rebranded the property when it reopened in 2006, a year after it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The 40,000-square-foot casino includes 1,200 slot machines, a 14-station video-poker bar and a six-table poker room. Its roster of table games includes blackjack, craps, roulette, pai gow poker and other banked card games. Clarinet player Pete Fountain is a fixture at the Stage Bar. The property's hotel features 291 guest rooms that overlook Bay St. Louis.
Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis
711 Hollywood Blvd.
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
(866) 758-2591
hollywoodcasinobsl.com
Jack Binion opened the Horseshoe in 1995 as part of the Tunica Casino Center development that also included Circus Circus Tunica, now the Gold Strike Resort and Casino, and Sheraton Casino and Hotel, now the Tunica Roadhouse Casino and Hotel. Harrah's Entertainment acquired the Horseshoe in 2004 and renovated it the following year. The casino contains more than 1,700 slot machines, 70 table games and a poker room. The 14-story hotel features 500 rooms, a swimming pool and a health spa.
Horseshoe Casino Hotel Tunica
1021 Casino Center Drive
Tunica Resorts, MS 38664
(800) 303-7463
horseshoetunica.com
