Mississippi casinos reopen after weekend closures due to Hurricane Ida

Mississippi casinos across the coast closed on Saturday as Hurricane Ida approached. Now that the emergency state has passed, 11 out of 12 properties opened by the beginning of the week, and Silver Slipper in Hancock County opened on Wednesday morning. 

The Mississippi Gaming Commission went by each casino to verify there were no damages to the buildings. Out of all the casinos, Island View Casino in Gulfport was the only casino to remain open during Hurricane Ida.

According to News 25, Scarlet Pearl Vice President of Marketing Ben Koff said once they realized how serious Hurricane Ida was projected to be they knew they had to close up.

“When the time came to finally say ‘hey, we are going to close the casino,’ it happens very quickly. We already have the processes in place and in terms of the guests, it’s likewise notifying them, communicating on social media. I think the Scarlet Pearl, I think all of our fellow casinos, did a great job in notifying our employees and guests before they closed.”

Scarlet Pearl employees who were scheduled to work still received full payment. Those that worked in security, maintenance, and other areas during Hurricane Ida received bonuses.

During this past week, Nevada casinos also announced the closure of a portion of their gaming floors due to Caldor Fire, which is expected to cross the Californian border anytime soon. Evacuations in the area have already stared.