Louisiana Gamblers – New Casino Approved on Mississippi Coast

Louisiana gamblers who enjoy spending their time and money enjoying the Mississippi Gulf Coast might soon have a new place to play. The Mississippi Gaming Commission has given preliminary approval on a site along the Gulf Coast that has been 15 years in the making.

The site approval for RW Development means that the company which has spent a decade and a half attempting to gain approval for the project will now have just three years to get financing in order. That same deadline applies for the approval of final plans by the Gaming Commission.

There are several other stipulations in the site approval. Among those is the covenant that RW Development maintains a lease with the city of Biloxi and Harrison County. The company will also need to develop and build a pier that is handicapped accessible as well.

Another stipulation of the site agreement was that the casino floor must be within 800 feet of the mean high water line. This has been a requirement for casinos in Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Should RW Development meet and maintain the conditions outlined in the agreement the property would be the ninth casino to call Biloxi home. It would also be the 13th casino in South Mississippi. 

The approval process was not without contention. A letter presented by the director of the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association opposed the approval. The letter suggested that RW Development did not have proper control of the proposed property to the water's edge which is required by Mississippi law.

However, the application was approved in the end. Developers will now begin the process that they have waited some 15 years to start. We should be hearing more about the proposed facility and its amenities in the not-too-distant future. It's a future that looks quite bright for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, maybe that's why everybody is always wearing shades.