Casino developers testing onshore gaming changes

Biloxi — Developers of the Gold Coast casino in Biloxi are asking the Mississippi Gaming Commission to approve a definition of the mean high tide water line that will make their inland casino site legal.

Mississippi has allowed casinos since the early 1990s, but the original law limited the state-regulated gambling houses to the waters of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The casinos were built on hulking dockside barges.

After Hurricane Katrina severely damaged some of the coastal casinos in 2005, the state law was changed to let the Gulf Coast casinos build 800 feet onshore.

RW Development, led by Ray Wooldridge, owner of the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets, is building the South Beach Biloxi, a 326-unit condominium and other facilities, including the proposed Gold Coast casino. The casino location is on Veterans Avenue, north of U.S. Highway 90 in Biloxi.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission will hear a discussion of the proposal during a July 17 meeting in Biloxi.

RW Development wants the commission to find its casino site legal. It is the first test of the 2005 law.

RW Development argues that a strip of public beach between its property south of U.S. 90 and the shoreline is at the mean high tide. Because of that, RW Development argues the property north of U.S. 90 is a legal casino site.

RW Development has said its completed project — condos, a hotel, shops and the casino — would generate more than $24 million annually in taxes for Biloxi and its schools.

The Biloxi Planning Commission approved the RW Development project in March and the city approved zoning variances necessary for the project in April.

When more information is available about the Gold Coast and South Beach it will be posted over at Biloxi Casinos.

South Beach Casino delayed

It looks like the application for the casino portion of the South Beach Biloxi Resort and Spa will be delayed. The good thing is construction on the first tower continues as normal with a completion date set for Labor Day.
The Sun Herald Reported:
The answer to whether a casino will be allowed north of U.S. 90 will have to wait a little longer, since the application isn’t on the Mississippi Gaming Commission’s June 19 agenda as first expected.

“We certainly hope to be on the July agenda,” said Reed Guice, spokesman for RW Development, which has proposed building a casino on the northeast corner of U.S. 90 and Veterans Avenue. RW also owns commercial land on the south side of 90, but a strip of sand beach remains between that property and the water.

On April 8 the City Council changed the zoning to waterfront, which is needed before the Gaming Commission will decide if it is a legal casino site. That decision typically comes the same day as the proposal is made to the Gaming Commission…

Complete article here… South Beach delayed

Another Margaritaville?

It looks like Biloxi won’t have the first Margaritaville casino afterall…

Donald Trump last week said he is selling the Marina, one his three Atlantic City resorts, to Coastal Marina LLC, which will become Margaritaville Casino & Resort.

That means Parrotheads, the devoted fans of Buffett and the laid-back beach lifestyle made famous by “Margaritaville,” won’t see the new property until at least next summer.

Buffett also is teaming with Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., on the Margaritaville Casino & Resort in Biloxi, Miss., also featuring a Buffett-inspired theme. That $700 million property is expected to open in 2010. It will feature a state-of-the-art Margaritaville restaurant.

The existing property covers approximately 14 acres and includes a 27-story hotel with 728 guest rooms, 79,000 square feet of casino space and approximately 58,000 square feet of convention, ballroom and meeting space.

We will keep everyone updated as more and more construction is made at this new Biloxi casino and resort.