At tomorrow’s meeting of the Mississippi Gaming Commission in Biloxi local mayors and casino executives will have the opportunity to discuss issues affecting the rebuilding of the hurricane devastated Gulf Coast. It is anticipated that all the casino companies that formerly operated in the Biloxi-Gulfport region will reopen for business in due course, although there has been some speculation about the intentions of Pinnacle Entertainment.

Least damaged by Hurricane Katrina is the privately owned Imperial Palace, the venue for Thursday’s meeting. It should reopen in time for the Christmas season, and the Isle of Capri property in Biloxi should not be far behind. Isle of Capri is due to request permission at the meeting to relocate its casino to within its new hotel. Penn National may also opt for moving its Bay St Louis casino into its hotel ballroom.

Casino Magic Biloxi owned by Pinnacle was very badly hit by the hurricane and a decision on rebuilding may be delayed a few months. If it is rebuilt it will be one of the last to reopen and it will have a new name to avoid confusion with the Penn National Gaming Casino Magic Bay St Louis and Boomtown.

At the meeting tomorrow local city mayors will get the opportunity to outline their ideas for reconstructing the tourist industry along the affected coastline, and to discuss the issues affecting their cities. Casino executives are expected to announce their plans for the next year. The hope will be that with lessons learnt the Gulf Coast will bounce back better than ever. (E-11.16.05)

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