29May
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Mississippi Casinos and Gambling
Short Summary: This page looks at the different forms of gambling in the State of Mississippi, discusses the legality of online gambling and gives a detailed listing of all of the Commercial and Tribal casinos in the state.
Mississippi is something of an oddity when it comes to their gambling laws. In some cases, they are as open as any other state given the existence of commercial casinos within the state. In other cases, they seem incredibly conservative on gambling. For one thing, it was only last year (2018) that the State of Mississippi finally authorized a state lottery. According to this news source.
In-state lottery games will be available towards the end of this year and the state will participate in the multi-state Mega Millions and Powerball lotteries beginning early next year. Prior to that, Mississippi was one of only six states without a lottery. The remaining states are Arkansas, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. Two of those states, Hawaii and Utah, have no legal form of gambling whatsoever.
Charitable Gaming is legal within the state with a bevy of regulations pertaining to such conduct. Initially, entities wishing to have charitable gaming events must pay a $50 license fee, after that, there are different fees depending on the type of gaming being conducted and the revenues therefrom.
Both Commercial Casinos and Tribal Casinos exist within the state, and the gambling revenues for live casinos totaled $2,126,884,253.59 for the year of 2018.
Tribal Casinos do not report their revenues to the State of Mississippi.
In terms of online gambling, any form of gambling not specifically authorized by the state is illegal and can theoretically result in a fine of up to $500, an additional fine is possible for any amounts that are won and up to ninety days in jail. The laws are even more stringent when it comes to those who operate gambling activities illegally. The only form of online gambling currently legalized and regulated by the state is Daily Fantasy Sports, so anything else would constitute illegal gambling.
With that said, we can find no instance of any individual player facing prosecution for acting as a mere player.
Mississippi has legalized sports betting at its casinos. While Mississippi does not have any horse or dog tracks of its own, pari-mutuel wagering is allowed at any of the casinos via simulcasting. Even if there were such a track, dog racing is illegal within the state.
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The Legality Of Online Gambling In Mississippi
Update (Dec 22): Mississippi both does and doesn’t have online sports betting.
It does, technically, but all sports bets (from websites or apps) must be placed while the bettor is at one of Mississippi’s physical casinos. In other words, you can make online sports bets, but only from the same locations at which you could have made retail bets anyway.
I suppose that is somewhat beneficial to players when the sports betting counter is closed, but with exception only to that, it’s tough to see what purpose the websites serve. Assuming that all cashouts can be done either electronically, or at the cage, I guess that could also mean that the casinos technically have no need to operate a physical counter.
In any event, perhaps unsurprisingly, there appears to be only one regulated online sports book in the state, which is BetMGM.
I don’t know if more online sportsbooks will open. It’s honestly tough to say as any of the land casinos in the state may offer retail sports betting, so it makes sense that BetMGM has an online version as they were already operating online sportsbook in other states anyway. When it comes to smaller, or perhaps independent, casinos…those casinos would need to go to the lengths to develop an app, which wouldn’t make a lot of sense because the bettors have to be on property anyway, or to partner with someone, which doesn’t make sense because then you’re sharing the revenues of punters who are already physically on your property.
Or, put more simply, the law is really stupid. Mississippi, though, so one can hardly be surprised.
There have been a number of bills drafted, in the House and Legislature, such as this one, which would have allowed each land casino to operate one online casino-style site that could also have sports betting (without the stupid requirement that the mobile user actually be on property), but none of those have even seen a vote so far, as far as we can tell.
Either way, there seems to be a bit of a Legislative push there, so as the tax revenues from online casinos fill the coffers of other states, it would seem to only be a matter of time before Mississippi decides to get on board, though it’s hard to say when.
In the meantime, there are a number of offshore online casinos who are already offering their services in the State of Mississippi, so you can check out our top recommendations in the section above!
Online gambling is prohibited in the State of Mississippi, with exception to daily fantasy sports. However, the quick legalization of DFS as well as the creation of a state lottery, are promising signs that the state may become more relaxed in the future with the types of gambling that are permitted.
In all likelihood, Mississippi would follow the lead of other states and legalize online gambling provided the websites have ties to a commercial casino within the state.
We’ve already discussed the theoretical penalties that could apply to any form of illegal gambling in the state in the first section.
Land Casinos In Mississippi
In this section, we will discuss the various casinos that are available in the state of Mississippi and designate which ones are commercial casinos and which are Tribal Casinos.
Ameristar Casino Hotel Vicksburg:
Located in Vicksburg, MS, the Ameristar Casino is owned and operated by Penn National Gaming and is a sizable riverboat casino boasting 70,000 square feet of gaming space.
Ameristar boasts on its website that is has almost 1,300 gaming machines available, ranging in denomination from $0.01-$100, including both slots and video poker. There are reportedly thirty table games which include Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Cajun Stud, Heads Up Hold’em, Flop Poker, and High Card Flush. The website boasts limits of up to $3,000 in the high-limit room for Craps, Roulette and Blackjack. We recommend calling in advance to get the operating hours for your game of choice if it is not one of the more common games, such as Blackjack.
The Ameristar is also home to the only poker room in Vicksburg.
In addition to the RV park, this property is home to a hotel consisting of 149 total guest rooms and suites. Additional amenities include wireless internet, business center access, a complimentary USA Today newspaper, overnight delivery service and a swimming pool and hot tub open seasonally.
Dining options include the Heritage Buffet, which is open from Wednesday-Sunday as of the time of this writing. Bourbon’s is open Friday-Sunday and focuses on Southern-style steaks and seafood. Bella’s Bakery and Cafe is a casual eatery and is open daily, on Mondays and Tuesdays, this is the only eatery in the casino. Food is also served in, “The End Zone,” which is part of the sportsbook area.
Entertainment options are similarly limited with the casino’s only bar offering entertainment open only on weekends.
Overall, despite the fact that it has a hotel, the Ameristar in Vicksburg is very much a locals type casino or geared towards those who would happen to be in Vicksburg anyway. While there is some stuff happening on most weekends, we would hardly consider a destination unto itself, especially early in the week.
Beau Rivage
The Beau Rivage is a casino owned and operated by MGM Resorts International and is located in Biloxi, Mississippi. Despite the fact that the hotel consists of more than 1,700 rooms and suites, the casino floor is comparably small coming in at around 72,000 square feet of gaming space. This is one of those places that tends to focus on other amenities and customer draws.
Hotel amenities and entertainment options include an outdoor pool, a golf course and an arcade. There are also a number of different shops, including boutiques, located on the property. At one point in time, the Beau Rivage was the largest hotel/casino outside of the State of Nevada.
The casino floor boasts in excess of 1,800 combined machines including slots, video poker and video keno. Denominations range from pennies to hundreds, so no matter how much you are bringing for the trip, you can find a machine within your limits. Table games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mini & Midi Baccarat, Crazy 4 Poker, Three-Card Poker, Pai-Gow Poker, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, “and more.” We recommend calling ahead for the general operating hours of your game of choice if it is not one of the more common ones, or to find out what games the, “And more,” might be referring to. The property also features a sizable poker room with tournaments around the calendar.
A variety of performances and vintage acts can be found at Headliners, with information available here.
Eight75 is the primary nightly hotspot and features live entertainment almost every night with a schedule available here.
The Breeze Bar is the bar located front and center of the main casino floor and also occasionally features live entertainment.
Restaurants include BR Prime which the site describes as, “A quintessential American steakhouse,” the buffet at Beau Rivage is called, appropriately enough, The Buffet at Beau Rivage. Other eateries include the Italian restaurant Stalla, Terrace Cafe for casual bites, Jia-which is Asian cuisine with a South American touch, Tap Book Bar and Bistro, the Pool Bar & Cafe, The Roasted Bean coffee shop, a Haagan Daas location and various snack stands located throughout the property.
Overall, this is one of the properties in Mississippi that is more of a destination unto itself. It would be easy to kill a weekend as this property offers several forms of entertainment in addition to the gaming and it seems that live entertainment is also available on weeknights.
Bok Homa Casino
Bok Homa Casino is a Native American owned and operated casino by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and is located in Sandersville, MS. The property is not home to a hotel. While some sources say it is in Sandersville, the casino’s website declares that it is located in Heidelberg, but that’s hardly unusual for small-town casinos. In any case, it is near Laurel, MS.
There are nearly 800 slot machines ranging from penny games to high-limit. Table Games include Blackjack, Three-Card Poker, Roulette, Craps and Mississippi Stud and are open 24/7 on Saturdays and Sundays with varied hours during the week. The website says that they close at 4:00 a.m. other days, but my advice is to take that more as a suggestion than anything. Many smaller casinos will close up shop early if it’s dead, or stay open longer if the tables are busy.
There is no poker room at the property, but Bingo is currently being conducted either four or five days a week. Presently, their website says four days, though it currently lists five separate days, so we guess call ahead if you want to be sure.
Lucky’s is the only restaurant for this casino and serves casual food, it is located just off of the casino floor.
This casino is pretty much strictly a locals’ place (nothing wrong with that) and is probably not really worth going out of your way for unless you happen to be in the general area anyway.
Boomtown Biloxi
Billing itself as, “The Original Locals Casino,” Boomtown, Biloxi is unsurprisingly located in Biloxi, MS. Despite its self-description, it’s not a terribly small casino with a gaming floor that boasts more than 900 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines.
This casino is operated by Penn National Gaming and is part of the MyChoice players club reward program. While the property is not home to a hotel of its own, there is an RV Park located on the property just across from the casino, so this might be a good stop if that is your method of travel.
In addition to their sportsbook, there is also a table games area spreading Craps, Roulette, Blackjack and Mini-Baccarat. If there are other games offered, their website neglects to list them, at present.
Eateries include Ole Saint Kitchen and Tap which features classic New Orleans’ style fare. Other eateries include the Boomtown Casino Buffet, Pho Boy Asian Fusion and the Boomtown Bakery. The property is also home to Fat Tuesday, a bar serving specialty drinks, as well as a 3,500 square foot events center.
It looks like their billing is right, this is very much a locals’ type casino in a casino destination town. I’d say it’s definitely worth a look if you’re in the area or are staying at another casino.
1st Jackpot Casino Tunica
Formerly Bally’s, the 1st Jackpot Casino Tunica is a property owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and is operated by Penn National Gaming. As one would expect, the property is located in Tunica, MS. The casino floor consists of over 46,000 square feet of gaming space.
This property has changed hands several times in the last several years, but the long and short of why it is no longer a Bally’s is because Harrah’s sold it over antitrust concerns when they bought out Caesars (and would ultimately become Caesars Entertainment) as it would give Harrah’s control of the majority of casinos in the market.
The property does not have a hotel and gaming consists of nearly 900 combined slot, video poker and video keno machines ranging in denomination from pennies all the way to $100 machines in the high-limit room. Table Games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mississippi Stud and 21 + 3; which is a blackjack and three-card poker hybrid. The casino is also home to a sportsbook.
Dining options include The Barn Prime (steakhouse), The Silo Eatery (casual) and Katt’s Kitchen (casual). The Silo Eatery focuses on casual American food while Katt’s Kitchen is all over the place, serving many styles of food.
There is free entertainment on weekends consisting of music and occasional comedy acts.
Ultimately, this place is also something of a locals casino, but is maybe worth a stop if you’re in Tunica, anyway.
Fitz Tunica Casino & Hotel
The Fitz Tunica Casino and Hotel is also located (obviously) in Tunica, MS. It is also somewhat commonly known by its old name of, “Fitzgerald’s.” That name may sound familiar to some of you because it was the name of the Irish-themed casino on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas that would later become The D.
The hotel consists of, “500-something rooms and nine floors,” I was told when I called to ask because I couldn’t find a room count on the website. Good enough. There is a pretty decent complement of amenities for the hotel including pet friendly rooms, an indoor pool and jacuzzi, complimentary wireless internet, a fitness center and complimentary valet parking. There are a number of different types of guest rooms and suites available.
Ranging from pennies to $10, all told, the casino floor houses over 800 combined slot machines, video poker and video keno machines. Table games include Blackjack, Craps, Cajun Stud Poker, Three Card Prime, High Card Flush and Roulette. If you’re looking for a game that is not one of the usual casino staples, we recommend calling ahead to determine the usual times your game of choice operates. The casino is also home to a sportsbook.
Eateries at the property include a steakhouse, appropriately enough named The Steakhouse; the Riverview Buffet and there is also a Fuddruckers location, which is a fast food burger place (and actually pretty good in this writer’s opinion) if you don’t have one in your area.
There are a number of entertainment events, mostly on weekends, that can be found here.
And mostly consist of local acts, regional acts and vintage acts.
Overall, this is a pretty decent older property that probably falls just short of being a destination unto itself. Given the gaming options and other amenities, there are definitely worse places to spend a weekend, but we might not be inclined to build a vacation around it.
Gold Strike Casino Resort
The Gold Strike Casino Resort is another Tunica, MS property, was formerly the Circus Circus Tunica, and is located in Tunica, MS. It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International. There is a substantial hotel on this property consisting of a combined 1,258 guest rooms and suites, with a gaming floor that comes in at a comparably trim 50,000 square feet.
Property amenities include an indoor pool for guests, some shopping options, a spa and a golf course. The amenities page makes no mention of internet access or business center, so it can likely be presumed to be part of the resort fee.
The Moneyline Sports Book Bar and Grill combines a pub, eatery and sportsbook all into one convenient location with year-round betting options on your favorite athletic events. The gaming floor consists of nearly 1,200 combined video poker, slot and video keno machines with denominations ranging from pennies to hundreds. Table games include Blackjack, Craps, Crapless Craps, Roulette, Mini Baccarat, Midi Baccarat, Caribbean Stud, Three-Card Poker, Four-Card Poker, Let it Ride and Mississippi Stud. As always, if you are looking for a game outside of the big three of Blackjack, CRaps and Roulette, you might do well to call ahead and inquire as to the usual hours of operation.
Entertainment can be found at Headlines, Stage2 and Ten10, with more information about events at these venues to be found here.
Restaurants options include the Buffet Americana, The Chicago Steakhouse, Pickle and Jam (MTO items), Topgolf Swing Suite (food and games) as well as the aforementioned Moneyline Sportsbook Bar and Grill. Stage2 and Ten10 are also the places to get your drink on with the latter of the two open around the clock, every day.
Ultimately, this is one of the Tunica destination properties, but don’t be surprised if the size of the casino floor relative to the hotel seems a little bit small. Even with that, you’ll find plenty of games to play and plenty of other activities at the Gold Strike.
Golden Moon Casino
The Golden Moon casino is a Native American owned and operated casino located in Choctaw Mississippi. It is owned and operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. This property, along with the Silver Star Hotel and Casino, make up Pearl River Resort.
The Golden Moon Hotel and Casino is comprised of nearly 600 guest rooms and suites, and its amenities include an Infinity Pool and fitness center. From their website:
Golden Moon Hotel and Casino offers gaming and a variety of activities for all guests. Golden Moon features 1,150 slot machines, 25 table games, an elevated 14 table poker room, a stunning video wall, and a new center bar.
The Pearl River Resort Poker Room is located inside of the Golden Moon Casino. Table games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Three-Card Poker and Mini-Baccarat.
Interestingly enough, and this is one of the only times we’ve ever seen this, there is a full list of all of the slot titles available located at the link above. It appears to be comprehensive, though we would have to be there ourselves to confirm that and it’s difficult to say how often it is updated. Still, if you’re looking for a particular machine that may be hard to find, there you go.
The Time Out Lounge is located in the Golden Moon Casino, and it consists of bar food and casual bites.Other eateries that are definitely in Golden Moon include The Center Bar, Bistro24, and Whiskey Bean Coffee Shop.
The place is marketed as part of the Pearl River Resort, as with the Silver Star, so there are many more amenities, a golf course and restaurants to be found. The website contains information for all of the different properties associated with the resort.
Golden Nugget Biloxi Hotel & Casino
Located in Biloxi, (Naturally) the Golden Nugget Biloxi Hotel and Casino consists of more than fifty table games and 1,000 slot machines. Amenities for the hotel include the H2O Pool and Bar as well as a fitness center. Upon calling, I was cheerfully informed that the property consists of a total of 706 guest rooms and suites.
Their own site lists more accurate game counts, including 1,159 combined video poker, slot and video keno machines. The property is also home to 49 table games and a live poker room. The players club is the Landry’s 24K Club. Table Games include Blackjack, Craps, Crapless Craps, Roulette, Three-Card Poker, Mini Baccarat, Midi Baccarat, Mississippi Stud, Pai-Gow Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em. As always, if you’re looking for one of the less common games, we recommend calling in advance.
According to the website at the time of this writing, there is at least one poker tournament every day. Poker Games include Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo.
Slot machine denominations range from pennies to hundreds.
Eateries include Morton’s The Steakhouse, The Buffet, Little Asian Cuisine, Michael Patrick’s (bar food), Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and there is also a Starbucks on the property.
Entertainment options include local, national, regional and comedy acts, though the upcoming entertainment schedule found here.
Is much less flowery than the lead-in paragraph would suggest.
Nightlife includes Rush Lounge, which often has live entertainment as well as a secondary bar on the property.
This would be a good destination casino for a weekend, and if you’ve been to the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, you basically know what to expect. The only real difference is that, if there is an arcade for kids at this Golden Nugget in Biloxi, I cannot find any mention of it. Other than that, the amenities, bars and eateries are basically the same, but why deviate from a pretty good model? It’s still a somewhat unique experience, unlike Hollywood Casinos, where it seems like there is one for every few ZIP codes.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi is located in Biloxi, MS and uses the Hard Rock name under license, it is actually owned and operated by Twin River Worldwide Holdings. The casino was supposed to open prior to 2007, but Hurricane Katrina and an ensuing legal battle put that on hiatus. That would all eventually be resolved and the casino would open in July of that year. The gaming floor consists of 50,000 square feet, making it a medium-sized casino.
The hotel consists of two towers totaling 479 guest rooms and suites. Amenities in-room include complimentary wireless internet access, free local and toll-free calls and the rest of the listed amenities are really just fairly standard room features, at this point. Other amenities include a pool.
Table games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mississippi Stud, Baccarat and Pai Gow Poker. We would recommend calling ahead for hours of operation for games other than Blackjack, Craps and Roulette. There are about 1,200 combined video poker, slot and video keno machines at the property. The property is also home to a sportsbook and the players club is known as The Encore Club.
This property is home to several dining options, among these are a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse location, Half Shell Oyster House, Satisfaction Buffet and Bar, Hard Rock Cafe (naturally), Macau Kitchen, Sugar Factory (sweets), Pie5 Pizza, Tequila’s on the Gulf and Soundbar. Additionally, there is a Dunkin’ Donuts location as well as a Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.
Some of the bars include live entertainment, mostly on weekends.
Overall, ths casino seems like an excellent choice for a weekend, mostly on the strength of its several dining options. We highly recommend stopping in to look around if you are in the Biloxi area.
Harlow’s Casino
Harlow’s Casino Resort and Hotel is owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc. and has a modest casino floor consisting of 33,000 square feet of gaming space. The hotel consists of just over 100 guest rooms and suites and is home to a spa and fitness center.
In addition to sports betting, the casino floor houses about 700 combined slots, video poker and video keno games. Table games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Three-Card Poker and Mississippi Stud.
Dining options include Louie’s Steakhouse, Delta Delights Buffet, Sand Bar Cafe and Perks, which is for snacks and coffee.
What causes the property to bear the, “Resort,” moniker when just about everything about it screams, “Locals casino and hotel,”? Your guess is as good as ours.
Harrah’s Gulf Coast
Harrah’s Gulf Coast is located in Biloxi, Mississippi, is owned by Vici Properties and is operated by Caesars Entertainment. The Grand Casino Biloxi was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and this is the replacement property for that casino, though this one is much smaller with a trim 35,000 square feet of gaming space.
Coming in at 495 guest rooms and suites, the hotel is pretty sizable in comparison to the casino floor. The hotel features a pool.
The casino floor houses 775 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines ranging in denomination from pennies to hundreds. The 35 table games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Pai-Gow Poker, Mini Baccarat, Mississippi Stud and Three-Card Poker. The sportsbook on the property is known, appropriately enough, as The Book.
Upscale dining consists of Magnolia House by Kelly English. Casual eateries include Steak & Shake, Mix & Mingle and The Blind Tiger. The buffet is known as Flavors Buffet and there is also a Starbucks located on the premises.
There’s really not much to this one as it is essentially something in between a locals casino and a destination casino. It’s certainly a good place to consider staying if you’re intending to visit Biloxi anyway, but we certainly wouldn’t take a trip exclusively to visit this casino.
Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast
Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast is located in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties while being operated by Penn National Gaming. The property was originally known as Casino Magic Bay, but was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and thereafter renovated to become the present property. There are 291 guest rooms and suites and the gaming floor is fairly modest, coming in at just under 40,000 square feet.
In addition to the hotel, the property is home to a marina and RV Park. Amenities include a pool and lazy river, a golf course, and a spa. The pool and lazy river are open to the public if you care to visit, with rates for wristbands depending on the day of the week.
There are over 1,000 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines at the property. Table games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mini Baccarat, Mississippi Stud, Three-Card Poker and Pai-Gow Poker. We recommend calling ahead for times that the tables usually operate if you are looking for a game outside of the big three.
The poker room consists of only five tables, but they claim to deal No Limit Hold ‘Em, Limit Hold ‘Em, Pot Limit Omaha and Omaha. If you’re looking for something aside from Hold ‘Em, we would recommend either calling ahead or using the Bravo Poker Live app to see if a game is being dealt when you want to go.
There are three dining options: The Celebrity Grill (casual), The Epic Buffet and Bogart’s Steakhouse.
There are occasional concerts at The Cypress Ballroom.
Again, this casino is not really a destination unto itself, but is worth a stop if you’re in the area. There is something of a focus on outdoor activities, such as the pool, lazy river, golf course and marina, so this would be a good place to spend the weekend if you are into those things.
Hollywood Casino Tunica
The Hollywood Casino Tunica is the other Hollywood branded property in Mississippi and is located in Robinsonville. The hotel consists of two towers, with one overlooking the casino and the other the pool; the property boasts that they have a large outdoor sundeck and the biggest indoor pool in Tunica. Upon calling, I was informed that the property is home to in excess of 400 guest rooms and suites.
The casino itself is home to a sportsbook as well as 1,100 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines. They boast over twenty table games (including live poker) which consist of Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, EZ Baccarat and Mississippi Stud. The poker room deals Texas Hold ‘Em, Seven-Card Stud and Omaha. As always, we recommend calling ahead for the general hours of any specific table game or poker game. For poker, the Bravo Poker Live app is also excellent if this casino chooses to list itself on there.
Dining options include Fairbanks Steakhouse, Epic Buffet and the Celebrity Grill.
The Stage Bar features live entertainment on occasion.
If all of this sounds familiar, it should. Basically, if you’ve seen one Hollywood Casino, then you’ve seen them all. The only real difference between this property and the other Hollywood branded property in the state is that there are fewer outdoor activities at this one.
Horseshoe Casino Tunica
The Horseshoe Casino Tunica was built by Jack Binion, son of Las Vegas gambling pioneer Benny Binion, so naturally, it is now operated by Caesars Entertainment. The property was previously owned by Caesars Entertainment, but was sold to Vici Properties who then leased the property right back to Caesars. (Long story)
The hotel consists of over 500 guest rooms and suites, and now it’s time to do something that I never like to do, which is credit Caesars Entertainment for something. The property’s website links directly up with TripAdvisor and the reviews (great, good, bad and awful) are all available to be seen on the website operated by Caesars. Credit where it’s due. The property is home to a pool and spa.
The sportsbook is known as The Book and the casino floor is home to over 1,100 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines. The website boasts that video poker limits go all the way up to $5, which is an unusual thing to brag about, because such denominations are fairly common even in locals casinos around the country. Caesars is also proud to have the area’s only $500 Red White & Blue machine, for those who like to either win or lose extremely quickly.
Table Games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Let it Ride and Three-Card Poker. Again, I’m forced to give credit where it is due as this casino is one of the few in the country to offer up to 100x Odds on line bets at the craps table. There is a poker room at the property, but the website is much more concerned with listing its amenities rather than the number of tables or what games are dealt.
Eateries include the Village Square Buffet, a Starbucks location, Jack Binion’s Steakhouse, 8oz Burger Bar, Lucky 8 Asian Bistro and JB’s Cafe. There are acts occasionally appearing at the property’s entertainment venue, Bluesville. Bars include Legends and Founder’s Club.
The size, scope and offerings of this property are pretty average for a major casino market, but it’s definitely not a bad spot to consider staying if you are going to be in town…especially if you are a Craps player who likes to bet big!
IP Casino Resort Spa
The IP Casino Resort Spa originally opened under the Imperial Palace moniker and is located in Biloxi, Mississippi. The property boasts well-over 80,000 square feet of gaming space, which makes this one of the larger casino floors in the state. The property is currently owned by Boyd Gaming and is part of the B Connected players club program. Additionally, there are well over 1,000 total guest rooms and suites.
The property boasts more than 1,500 slots, 53 table games and a ten-table poker room. Table games include Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Let it Ride, Midi Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, High Card Flush, Three-Card Poker and Heads Up Hold ‘Em Poker. If you are looking for any games outside of the big three, you would do well to call ahead for the usual operating hours of your game of choice. The ten-table poker room deals Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha 8’s or Better.
Eateries include thirty-two-tien (it’s all lower-case on their website, so I’m keeping it that way), Bayview Café, Back Bay Buffet, Highlights Sports Lounge, Quench, Infusion Coffee Bar and 850 Wine & Spirits.
The property is also home to golf, an arcade and a number of bars.
Their website needs fixed so that it will work properly on Google Chrome, which seems to be an issue with most Boyd websites, for whatever reason, so have fun with that if you’re using Google Chrome.
Island View Casino
The Island View Casino was built in the location of the Copa Casino, after the latter was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and is located in Gulfport, Mississippi. The property consists of just shy of 1,000 hotel rooms and boasts 80,000 square feet of gaming space, which makes it one of the larger casino floors in the state.
The casino is owned by Rick Carter and Terry Green (that’s refreshing!) after being purchased by Harrah’s Entertainment prior to the rebuild.
Their website indicates 126,000 square feet of gaming space after a recent expansion. There’s no convenient list of games, but table games at least include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mississippi Stud and Three-Card Poker.
The property is home to a wide variety of eateries including Dockside Deli, Prime Cut Steakhouse, CG’s, The Diner, Beach Coffee Shop, Beignet Cafe, Carter Green Steakhouse, Sweet Stop, Beach Boulevard, The Buffet, Sunset Bar and Deck and the Candyshop, as well as a few others.
There are a number of different acts that appear in The View Showroom, with a list available here:
Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lula
Located in Lula, Mississippi, the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lula is owned and operated by El Dorado Resorts. The hotel has a number of amenities, including both an indoor and outdoor pool as well as pet-friendly room options. The property is home to an RV Park, and the amenities page only makes mention of the pools.
Table games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mississippi Stud and 21 + 3, there are twenty total gaming tables. The casino boasts over 900 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines.
Eateries include The Buffet, Otis and Henry’s Bar and Grill and Otis and Henry’s Express. These eateries are all pretty common at El Dorado owned properties.
Finally, the property occasionally features live entertainment and karaoke.
Much like several other El Dorado properties, this is basically the scope of a locals casino. Nothing to see here, unless you’re in the area anyway.
Lady Luck Casino Vicksburg
Located in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the Lady Luck Casino Vicksburg is a small casino hotel consisting of 89 guestrooms and suites as well as 25,000 square feet of gaming space. The property once had an amusement park, but that has not been the case since the 90’s. After a deal with Churchill Downs fell through, El Dorado Resorts reached an agreement to sell the property to Twin Rivers Worldwide Holdings in July of 2019, but that sale has not formally been completed as of this writing.
The property lists no real amenities aside from free coffee 24/7 and free wireless internet access for guests.
Electronic Table Games include Craps, Roulette and Blackjack. There are over 600 slots, video poker and video keno machines. The website says that they have 35,000 square feet of gaming space, but multiple other sources say 25,000, so it could be a typo somewhere.
Eateries include Farmer’s Pick Buffet, Otis and Henry’s Bar and Grill and Oti and Henry’s Express. It’s hard to say whether any of these will change when the sale is completed.
Pretty much a straight up locals casino, but maybe worth a stop if you’re in the area.
Magnolia Bluffs Casino
Located in Natchez, Mississippi, the Magnolia Bluffs Casino is owned by Premier Gaming Group. The property’s hotel is home to 141 combined guest rooms and suites. Amenities include a seasonal pool, wireless internet access, a complimentary hot breakfast, a business center and a 24-hour fitness center.
The casino is home to 480 slots, 14 table games and a live poker room. The property’s website is otherwise pretty sparse on details. The casino also has a sportsbook.
Dining options include The Bandsaw Buffet, Prime Cut Steakhouse, The Bluffs Bistro and food is also served at the sportsbook.
Once again, pretty much a locals’ staycation type place, maybe worth a look if you’re in the area anyway.
Palace Casino Resort
The Palace Casino Resort is located in Biloxi, Mississippi, and prides itself on being the only smoke-free casino located in Biloxi. That didn’t go so well for the former Revel in Atlantic City, but seems to be working down South so far.
If you think a place calling itself a resort and actually being one is a novel concept, then you’re in luck, as this property comes with a four diamond rating. Despite the resort designation, there are no resort fees (another novel concept) at least, as of the time of this writing. Amenities include a complimentary USA Today and local paper, wireless internet access, a pool, fitness center, business center and pier access. The pool may be busy, however, as the public are permitted to buy pool passes during certain hours.
In addition to a sports and racebook, the casino is home to over 800 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines ranging in denomination from $0.01-$25. Table Games include Blackjack, Crap, Roulette, Pai Gow Poker, Three-Card Poker and Mississippi Stud. For the carnival games, we always recommend calling ahead for the usual hours of operation of your game of choice.
Dining options include Mignon’s Steaks and Seafood, Palace Buffet, Palace Cafe, Wahoo’s Poolside Bar and Grill, Stacked (burgers and grill), Contact (located in the sportsbook), and Mignon’s Lounge.
The property is also home to a spa and golf course.
While the casino itself isn’t terribly large, the Palace Casino is an excellent destination for quality as well as enough to do and restaurants to try to last a full weekend and maybe well into the week.
Resorts Casino Tunica
Resorts Casino Tunica is owned by Gaming & Leisure Properties, operated by Penn National Gaming and originally opened as the Southern Belle Casino. The hotel consists of 201 guest rooms and suites and the property houses 35,000 square feet of gaming space. For a casino destination town, the casino floor is definitely on the smaller size and is comparable to that of a locals casino.
The casino closed in June of 2019. We list it here just because it is possible someone will decide it is viable and purchase it, also, the closure was extremely recent.
Riverwalk Casino Hotel
Riverwalk Casino Hotel is located in Vicksburg, MS and is owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated. The property has a separate page for amenities, but it doesn’t list any, so your guess is as good as ours. The entire section for amenities consists of a separate link to book a room. The automated message at least indicates that there is free wireless internet for guests. I called for the property’s room count, but the front desk representative didn’t know and transferred me to the VIP office (!?) where I got an answering machine. No thanks. The property has more than zero rooms.
There are over 600 combined video poker, video keno and slot machines. Table games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, “And more.” We would suggest calling ahead if you want to see what other games are available. They at least indicate that there are 15 table games.
There are two dining options: The Magnolia Hill Buffet and a place called Smiley’s for quick bites.
If you looked up, “Locals Casino,” in the dictionary…
Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall Tunica
Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall is located in Tunica, MS, is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming and is part of the BConnected players club program. The hotel is home to a pool, sauna and fitness center. Other amenities include fax service in the USA, complimentary local and toll-free calls, complimentary copies (up to 10), USA Today, valet and garage parking and wireless internet.
There are 19 table games including Blackjack, Roulette, Three-Card Poker, Craps, Mississippi Stud and Let it Ride. They also list Keno under table games, and Keno is not a table game, so your guess is as good as mine. The slot link redirects to table games, so that’s useless right now. They have slots, though. We’re sure of it.
Casual dining includes The Great Buffet, Flights and Smokey Joe’s. They have a fine dining tab on the site, but nothing is listed.
Scarlet Pearl Casino
Scarlet Pearl Casino is located in D’Iberville, MS and is a smallish casino that opened in December of 2015, making it one of the newer casinos in the state. The hotel consists of 300 guest rooms and the property houses 68,000 square feet of gaming space.
In addition to the 36 hole miniature golf course, the property also houses a pool and spa as well as a fitness center.
The casino has a sportsbook as well as 1,170 combined slots, video poker and video keno games. The website states that 65 of these machines are video poker, so the selection might not be great if you are looking for a bunch of novelty game variations. Table Games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mini Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Three-Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, High Card Flush, Cajun Stud Poker, World Poker Tour All-In and Three Card Prime. We highly recommend calling ahead for the general operating hours, especially if you are looking for a novelty game, because it’s almost certain these don’t all operate around the clock. There are 37 total gaming tables.
There are a wide variety of dining options including Lounge Nocherie (sweets and coffee), Ami Pizza, Under the Oak (classic American), Waterfront Buffet, Chopsix Noodle Bar and Scarlet’s Steakhouse. Butler’s Bar and Lounge is one of the casino bars and has a few food options.
The Strand hosts concerts, banquets, events and fundraising activities and has an events calendar available on their site.
This property has a lot of different stuff to do considering the size, and should be on the shortlist of potential destinations for anyone visiting the area. We are particularly impressed by the number of dining and entertainment options, especially considering the property’s size. There are definitely worse places to spend the weekend.
Silver Slipper Casino
Owned and operated by Full House Resorts, the Silver Slipper Casino, at 30,000 square feet of gaming space, is a modest casino property located in Lakeshore, MS.
The Silver Slipper is one of the few properties in the area with a dedicated keno parlor, so it should be on your shortlist of places to go if Keno is your game of choice.
Guests can enjoy The Beach Club as well as complimentary wireless internet. We’ll also include the fact that they have 39” screen TV’s in all rooms, since that’s a decent size.
In addition to the sportsbook, the property is home to give-or-take 900 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines. They also feature 21 table games (well-played) including Blackjack, 21 + 3, Craps, Roulette, Three-Card Poker and Mississippi Stud. We recommend calling ahead for typical hours of operation for games other than blackjack.
Dining options include Jubilee Buffet, Blue Bayou Bar and Grill, Palm Court Cafe, Beach Bar and Cafe and Oyster Bar.
The Stage Bar, Beach Bar and Blue Bayou often have free live entertainment.
While the size of the property is fairly modest, they do have a few unique offerings, such as the live keno and free live entertainment. We definitely recommend stopping by if you’re passing through the area.
Silver Star Casino
Along with the Golden Moon Casino, the Silver Star Casino is the other casino that is part of the greater Pearl River Resorts property and is located in Choctaw, MS. It is owned and operated by The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. The Silver Star property consists of in excess of 500 rooms, of which 75 are suites. Amenities include a full-sized outdoor swimming pool, the whirlpool spas and a fitness center.
The Silver Star Resort Casino consists of over 90,000 square feet of gaming space and includes more than 1,200 combined video poker, slots and video keno machines. As with the Golden Moon Casino, a list of the slot titles (which appears to be comprehensive) appears on their website.
The poker room is located at the other casino at this resort, Golden Moon Casino. The Silver Star Casino has 40 table games which appear to consist of Blackjack, Craps and Roulette.
Restaurants in this casino include Phillip M’s, a fine-dining establishment, The Silver Star Buffet, The Bakery, Stats Sports Bar and Grill and Rally Alley (casual food).
Again, we recommend visiting their website as both this and Golden Moon Casino make up parts of the greater Pearl River Resort, so you would want to go there to get a feel for everything that is located at the greater resort.
Treasure Bay Casino Biloxi
The Treasure Bay Casino and Hotel is an independent casino (thank you!) owned and operated by Treasure Bay LLC. In addition to the hotel, the property is also home to an RV Park. There is also a pool for hotel guests and golfers are in luck, as well. The front desk operator cheerfully informed us that the hotel’s room count is 195.
In addition to a sportsbook, the gaming floor houses more than 800 combined slots, video poker and video keno machines. Slot denominations range from pennies to hundreds. Table Games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mississippi Stud, Three-Card Poker and High Card Flush. If you are looking to play one of those last three listed, we recommend calling ahead for the usual times of operation. There are other games listed in the, “How to Play,” section, but the website does not actually say they have those games, so feel free to call and ask.
There are a few dining options at this property which include CQ (four-star restaurant), Blu (drinks and tapas), The Den (casual), Aqua (snacks and sandwiches) and Infinity, which is the poolside eatery. The bars occasionally feature live entertainment with a schedule available here.
This is something of a locals casino stuck into a casino town, but we would definitely recommend considering this property if you are planning a visit to Biloxi.
Trop Casino Greenville
The Trop Casino Greenville, it should come as no surprise, is located in Greenville, MS. The property is owned and operated by El Dorado Resorts, but is currently tied to the TropAdvantage players club. It will likely all become Total Rewards by next year anyway when the El Dorado Resorts purchase of Caesars Entertainment is complete.
The hotel is known as Greenville Inns and Suites and consists of forty guest rooms and suites. There is an amenities page on their website, but it fails to list any amenities.
The slots page says they have, “Hundreds,” of slots and gives no other information. Taken literally, we can assume that there are between 200-900 slot machines. Table games consist of Blackjack, Craps and Roulette.
Big Water’s Cafe is the only eatery.
Studio T is a 2,000 square foot entertainment venue that features live performances on most weekends.
This is very much a locals’ casino and one can’t help but wonder if the person writing the website descriptions was only given ten minutes to complete the task.
Tunica Roadhouse Casino & Hotel
This property still exists as a hotel operated by Caesars Entertainment and owned by Vici Properties, but casino operations ceased in January of 2019.
Waterview Hotel & Casino
Waterview Hotel and Casino is a casino and hotel located in Vicksburg, MS. The property consists of 122 guest rooms and suites. Amenities include an outdoor hot tub. There property had a pool, but the website says it’s closed with no, “Temporarily,” anywhere, so we’re going to assume there are no plans to reopen it.
The 30,000 square foot casino floor consists of over 500 combined video poker, video keno and slot machines. Table Games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mississippi Stud and Baccarat. The property is pretty small, so you might want to call ahead for table game hours for your game of choice.
Dining options include the Sandbar Fish House and Grill, The Buffet and Lucky Bean for coffee and snacks.
Live music is on the casino stage most weekends.
Very much a locals’ joint, nothing wrong with that.
Slot Machine Ownership in Mississippi
Whether you’re a private collector or just a bored suburbanite looking to spruce up their game room, Mississippi law allows you to own slot machines as long as they’re older than 25 years. This qualifies them as “antique gaming devices,” which means they’re far too outdated to threaten the business of the local casinos. There are also regulations on the books to prevent these antiques from being used to make a profit, so you can forget all about that underground slots parlor tucked away in the middle of suburbia.
Conclusion And Prognosis
The state is no stranger to gambling when one considers the wide-array of casinos that are available. The industry must also be doing fairly well because many of the casinos that were unfortunately wiped out by Hurricane Katrina have since been replaced with new casinos. In areas aside from commercial and tribal gaming, the state has been historically conservative, but seems to be loosening up a bit.
For one thing, they authorized the casinos to conduct sports betting basically the minute that they could legally do so. They have (finally) authorized a state lottery and regulated that for in-state games as well as huge jackpot multi-state Powerball and Mega Millions. Mississippi was one of the first states on board with Daily Fantasy Sports, as well.
Online gambling is illegal in the state as of the time of this writing, but given the other developments in the state that would expand gambling, we expect them to legalize and regulate online play in a matter of time. Probably within five years. In all likelihood, they’ll follow the template of other states before them and require that the online casinos have some sort of tie to one of the commercial casinos in the state, which is fine, because there are certainly plenty of them.
References
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You must be 21 or older to gamble in Mississippi
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