Katrina Rocks Industry
The first serious challenge for the casino industry came in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region. Ironically, in that same year, lawmakers had begun to question what could be done in order to protect the riverboat and dockside casinos from a serious hurricane; moving them away from the shoreline was impossible under the laws, but the new rules would allow some engineering efforts to protect resorts against flooding and storm surges, even if it moves them technically off of where the original law said they should be.
But Katrina arrived well before any such measures could be taken. After the storm ripped through the area, not a single casino was still operational on the Gulf Coast, with many of the barges having floated inland, causing yet more damage in their wake.
Because the gambling industry had become so important, it was given special consideration in the aftermath of the hurricane. Lawmakers allowed operators to now build up to several hundred feet inland, a move that would still effectively limit where these venues could be placed, while also protecting them against the impact of another catastrophic hurricane.
Today, the industry isn’t quite as strong here as it was before the storm, both because of the aftermath and the 2008 recession. There are still more than 30 casinos spread throughout Mississippi, including three operated by Native American tribes. Biloxi and Tunica Resorts remain the most active destinations for gamblers, even if they are not quite as popular as they were a decade earlier.
Online Play Generates Talk, But Little Action
You might not expect a southern state such as Mississippi to be at the forefront of online gambling activity, and to a certain extent, you’d be right. However, the state has at least considered the idea of regulating Internet casino games and poker, and the issue has been brought up in the legislature in recent years.
The most prominent proponent may be Representative Bobby Moak, who has introduced legislation to regulate the industry on multiple occasions. There has been little to no movement on his bills, but it does seem to have had the effect of starting a conversation. The state gaming commission has issued reports on the subject, and a committee has studied how iGaming might impact the existing casino sector here, with some saying it could be a step to help the resorts regain the success they first saw in the 1990s.
But while regulated online casinos in Mississippi may not be a part of the landscape here anytime soon, that doesn’t mean that players are out of luck if they want to play online. As a so-called “grey market,” many trusted operators still offer Internet gaming here, even if they can’t earn a license in the state. And with no rules or laws punishing individuals who choose to play on these sites, many Mississippians play for real money on such websites every day.
No Major Changes Forecast
It is unlikely that any dramatic changes will be coming to the land-based industry anytime soon, but a more subtle shift is already underway. In 2014, new requirements were put into place for any new casino developments, with an emphasis put on how much non-gaming must be available at each resort. If you’re going to build in the state now, there are standards for the size and quality of adjoining hotels, dining options, and other amenities. Already, new venues have been developed to reach these increased standards.
When it comes to online casinos, we don’t expect any real movement to occur here over the next few years. That said, Mississippi may be among the most likely of the “Deep South” states to regulate iGaming in the future. The interest is obviously there, and as a whole, lawmakers and industry officials haven’t seemed outright hostile to the idea. Should it be decided that something new is necessary to help revitalize the brick and mortar locations in the state, allowing them to offer additional gaming on the Internet could quickly turn into an idea with a lot of support.
