Mississippi’s Coastal Casinos Reopen after Hurricane Misses
Mississippi's coastal area has woken up since Monday's Hurricane Sally struck and caused a partial evacuation of the 12 casinos. The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) allowed all casinos to reopen on Wednesday at 1 p.m. after the storm skipped the casinos and went to Alabama's Gulf Shores.
With little to no collateral damage South Mississippi managed to survive the hurricane. The Biloxi Palace Casino Resort announced flooding but on the whole nothing too extreme. In Alabama, though, casinos aren't so fortunate.
Two riverboat casinos under construction were loosened free of their moorings, which caused the dock damage. Guests didn't wait long to clear the storm, though guests began returning to the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort and all other properties as early as Wednesday.
In the COVID-19 pandemic climate, safety precautions and health procedures remain the same, with mandatory face masks and decreased capacity.
However, Beau Rivage Resort and Casino took to resume operations before 10 am on Thursday due to elimination of flood water and minor debris from the casino site.
The Long to Recovery Beyond 2020, claims CEO LuAnn Pappas
With the casino industry experiencing another hiccup, LuAnn Pappas, CEO of Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, said the industry couldn't wait until the year is over. Any recovery will most likely happen in 2021, he added.
Pappas said the COVID-19 lockout aftermath, loss of visitors and other constraints imposed on the casino industry. The state's casino resorts were precarious to claim at all.
The Mississippi gambling commission reported in August that the state's 26 commercial casinos raised $179.4 million, or well below July. This is quite troubling because Mississippi is one of the country's largest casino gaming markets.
The state created $2.2 billion in gambling income in 2019, according to the American Gaming Association, but the actual economic effect was double that number, at $4.41 billion.
How About Sports Betting Industry Increasing in Mississippi?
In August, the sports betting handle crossed a very decent $40.5 million, or a 50% year-over-year boost. The business has changed by all means and it has much to do with the introduction of various sporting tournaments and leagues, including MLB, NFL, and NBA.
That is despite the fact that sports betting as an operation in Mississippi is only permitted in person at licensed venues. Revenues from sports betting rose to $3.75 million in August, compared to just $1.3 million in July. This is also good news for the economy, as Mississippi needs the increased tax revenue created by the state's sport betting and gambling operations.
With the NFL season underway and in full swing and college sports pledging a return, the sports betting handle of Mississippi has nowhere but to go.
