Tunica Casinos Begin to Close Due To Flooding

As a result of flooding expected to hit by May 10th, casinos have started the process to shut down. See link

http://downtheroad.tunicatravel.com/2011/04/tunica-river-watch-update-april-27/

Updates as they happen

word is that people aren't going to get paid at all. You would think they would have some insurance specifically to pay people if they have to shut down. This is going to be really really bad for thousands of people

re: folks getting paid

Yes, the word is they need to go for unemployment. Really sad to see that. Of course, once the waters receded, lots of people will be needed to get them back into shape, but plenty will be out of work. I think if the casinos were as flush as they were a few years ago, they might have been better able to provide. Will be interesting to see how this all plays out. And, maybe the forecast will be wrong and they waters will not get as high as the forecast. May 10th looks like d-day at this point.

I forget what the max unemployment in Mississippi is, but I think it's less than $300 a week. folks cannot live on that. And I am pretty sure that many of the people who work as dealers, cashiers, slot techs, etc, do not have rainy day funds for such an occasion.

Some of them have been struggling so much that with the loss of weeks of revenue, I wonder if Bally's or Resorts, for example, will even reopen at all

I wonder what this means for my May 6-8 reservations at Harrah's?

the Verandah and terrace hotels are supposed to stay open. why, I don't know. But you won't be able to go to a casino. the river is supposed to crest on May 10, so none of them will be open before then. You can still golf and go to the spa and go to the non casino restaurants in tunica.

Are the hotels really far enough away to be out of the flood zone?

two of the hotels at Harrahs are a shuttle ride away. maybe close to a mile. so yeah. but it doesn't make business sense to keep those 2 hotels and the spa that is in one of them open when the casino is closed. people come there to gamble. and for pretty much no other reason

at least at Harrah's properties, and I am going to guess this is true at others, folks will be getting paid for at least the first 2 weeks of closure

dealers and cocktail waitresses are getting their hourly teeny tiny pay plus the average of their tips for the past 2 years.


this is a good thing

As to hotels being "that far away". They only need to be a few hundred feet to escape the flooding. The casinos are on the river side of the levy system. You will notice when driving into Harrahs (old Grand), that you drive DOWN to the casino. Just before reaching Sams Town, Hollywood area, you drive up and over the levy. When driving to Gold Strike Horseshoe area you drive up, but not down quite as much, hence they are on a bit higher ground.

here is a good facebook picture of Harrahs The ramp in the picture usually goes the opposite way, meaning you walk downhill a bit to get to the casino.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150179280413985&set=a.92409338984.81320.85343613984&type=1&theater