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Clint Brower’s lawyer told a Mississippi circuit court that this pointed to the severe mental disturbance his client was suffering from when he attacked Micah Harrison, 41, in an RV Park laundromat in May 2020.
On Monday, Brower pleaded guilty to first-degree?murder?and was sentenced to life in prison for the crime.
Brutal Attack
Security video from the laundromat captured the incident, according to court filings. The two men were seen briefly exchanging words before Brower pulled a butcher’s knife from a bag and launched the shocking attack on Harrison, a father of one.
Brower told Judge Lisa Dodson Monday that he perceived Harrington as a threat who wanted to hurt him and others. The defendant has suffered from mental health problems since his teenage years, according to his lawyer.
After the attack, Brower went back to his trailer to change his clothes before returning to the laundromat. He tied a rope to Harrison’s body and dragged him outside with the intent of taking him to the Beau Rivage, around 10 miles away. Witnesses called police and he was arrested shortly afterward.
Biloxi police had picked up Brower just hours before the killing on an outstanding warrant for disorderly conduct. But he had been released and even driven back to the RV park.
Questions About Release
The families of both the perpetrator and the victim have questioned why police were so quick to release Brower when it was clear that he was mentally unwell. Cops said he was calm and lucid and didn’t appear to be a threat, according to court documents.
The victim’s family described Harrison as someone who had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction earlier in his life, but who had gotten clean and was now working in construction.
Harrison had turned his life around and was committed to taking care of his daughter, 20. He had recently purchased a camper trailer for her next to his so they could be closer.
Brower apologized to the family during his sentencing hearing: “I am truly sorry for what happened,” he said, as reported by local TV station WLOX. “I want you to know, it was beyond my control. That’s all I can say. I know y’all have grieved for his loss.”
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Boyd Gaming has owned and operated the New Orleans area riverboat since its inception in 1994.
The Las Vegas-based gaming operator that specializes in regional casino operations announced in early 2022 a roughly $100 million investment to bring the riverboat gaming ashore with a new land-based facility. That project is complete and the all-new Treasure Chest will soon welcome its first guests.
The riverboat casino will shutter at 11:59 p.m. CDT on Saturday, June 1.
The new Treasure Chest will open at 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 8. The brick-and-mortar facility is located at the end of Williams Blvd. about 1,000 feet from where the riverboat is docked.?
Land-Based Casinos
The forthcoming Treasure Chest will offer 47,000 square feet of gaming — nearly double the 24,000-square-foot space currently offered on the boat — with more than 900 slot machines and two dozen live dealer table games. A FanDuel Sportsbook is also opening next month.
The brick-and-mortar casino will feel more like a Las Vegas resort, as several restaurants, including a sports bar and grill and a fine dining steakhouse, are included in the project. The Treasure Chest also hopes to become a destination for meetings and events with 10,000 square feet of customizable space.
The Treasure Chest will become the fourth land-based casino in Louisiana to open after state lawmakers amended the Bayou State’s gaming regulations in 2018. The amendment allows licensed riverboats to invest in brick-and-mortar developments so long as the new casinos remain within 1,200 feet of their original barges.
The legislative change came after multiple hurricanes greatly damaged or destroyed several casino boats. Louisiana’s other land-based casinos include Harrah’s New Orleans, Horseshoe Lake Charles, and The Queen Baton Rouge. Another brick-and-mortar casino is in the works in Bossier City.
“Conveniently located in a new spacious landside facility offering familiar Boyd Style hospitality and service, the new single-level casino floor will feature the latest and greatest slots and table games, four unique dining areas, a dynamic sportsbook, optimized entertainment, and meeting space, all surrounded by state-of-the-art technology for the ultimate guest experience,” a release from Boyd Gaming read.
Local Competition?
While Harrah’s New Orleans primarily caters to visitors to the Big Easy, the Treasure Chest is more focused on locals. Boyd Gaming’s investment in the property came after voters in nearby St. Tammany Parish struck down a local ballot referendum in 2021 for a possible casino in Slidell.
During the 2023 fiscal year — July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023 — Treasure Chest won $86.1 million from gamblers. That was down over 11% from the $97.2 million that the boat won in 2022.
The boat’s operations never recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
In 2019, Treasure Chest gaming revenue totaled $108.3 million. Fewer people are visiting the boat, as the admission count in 2019 totaled 969,744, while entries in 2023 totaled 556,824 — a guest reduction of almost 43%. ?
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The Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB) this week revealed that gross gaming revenue at the state’s 14 casinos classified as riverboat properties totaled $138.3 million. That’s $12.5 million fewer dollars than the boats won in April 2023, an 8.3% reduction.
The five Shreveport/Bossier City boats won $40.1 million, down 14% from April 2023, while GGR at the three Lake Charles properties totaled $55 million, an 11% decline. The three New Orleans boats reported GGR of $20.1 million, down 1%. Baton Rouge was a lone bright spot, as the three properties there won $23.1 million, up 5.5%.
The state gaming agency continues to list The Queen Baton Rouge and Horseshoe Lake Charles as riverboats despite the properties recently becoming brick-and-mortar facilities.
The LGCB reported that the other land-based casino in the Bayou State — Harrah’s New Orleans — experienced similar struggles as the boats, as GGR dropped 9.4% from a year ago to $19.3 million. Slots at the state’s four racetracks — Delta Downs, Louisiana Downs, Evangeline Downs, and Fair Grounds — were almost 7% lower at $26.6 million.
April 2024 provided a difficult comparison, as the month included two fewer weekend days than April 2023.
April Showers
April gaming revenue was red across the state gaming industry. Along with April 2024 marking an 8.3% slide in riverboat revenue from April 2023, the haul represented a 17% pullback from March when the properties won $166.2 million.
The $19.3 million won at Harrah’s New Orleans, which is expected to become Caesars New Orleans this fall, was a 13% falloff from March. The racetrack slots saw GGR slide south 17% month-to-month.
However, March also had more weekend days, two to be exact, than did April.
Though April’s results might be explained by the difficult comparisons, Louisiana’s gaming industry saw statewide slot and table GGR fall 2% in 2023.
Fourth Land Casino Under Development
Louisiana’s gaming market is expected to feature a fourth brick-and-mortar casino next year with the opening of the Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana integrated resort in Bossier City. The Cordish Companies is investing $270 million to redevelop the former Diamond Jacks riverboat and bring gaming ashore with a new casino facility.
Cordish announced this week the hiring of gaming industry veteran John Chaszar as the executive vice president and general manager of Live! Louisiana. Chaszar arrives at Cordish from Indiana’s Tropicana Casino in Evansville. During his time there, Chaszar helped oversee the former riverboat’s inland move to a new land-based casino.
Cordish plans to open its Bossier City casino in the first quarter of 2025. The casino will feature over 1,000 slot machines, 40 live dealer table games, a sportsbook, a fully renovated 550-room hotel, a resort-style pool and fitness center, and various nightlife and entertainment.
Outgoing LGCB Chair Ronnie Johns believes Live! will help turn around the Shreveport/Bossier City gaming market, which has struggled post-pandemic.
During the current fiscal year that began July 1, 2023, through April, the five Shreveport/Bossier city riverboats have counted more than 3.64 million admissions and GGR of approximately $431.37 million. During the same 10-month span in 2019, the region’s gaming industry — then with six casinos, as Diamond Jacks was still operating — welcomed nearly 6.39 million visitors and won over $523.3 million.
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House Bill 727 (HB 727) seeks to ban operators of fantasy sports contests and sportsbooks that do business in Louisiana from advertising there.
“Proposed law prohibits holders of a license to operate fantasy sports contests or sports wagering from advertising fantasy sports contests in the state,” according to the text of the bill. “Proposed law provides that advertising fantasy sports or sports wagering in violation of proposed law shall result in revocation of the fantasy sports contest operating license.”
Mena, who was elected to office in 2023, is the only sponsor of the bill as of Monday. He said HB 727 is aimed at reducing problematic wagering habits, which he says have increased in the state since online sports wagering was approved.
Mena Bill Likely Tough Lift in Louisiana
In an interview with WDSU 6, Mena was clear to note that he’s not attempting to halt sports wagering in Louisiana. He merely wants to eliminate related commercials.
Still, the legislation faces an uphill climb. Mobile sports wagering launched in 55 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes in February 2022, including all of those in the New Orleans area. Broadly speaking, it’s been a success in the state, meaning there’s likely little appetite in the Republican-controlled State Legislature to advance Mena’s bill.
Louisiana’s online/mobile sports wagering market is among the most competitive and vibrant in the country. Operators there include ESPN Bet, BetMGM, Bet Rivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and FanDuel, among others.
Louisiana is one of the largest gaming markets in the U.S. Dominant land-based casino operators there include Caesars Entertainment and Penn National Gaming. Some brick-and-mortar casino firms in the state also participate in the regulated sports industry. Some are also active in political lobbying, which could stunt the progress of Mena’s bill.
Regulated betting in various forms is big business in Louisiana, generating more than $200 million in revenue last year for the government there. Of the three states with which it shares borders, Louisiana is the only one that offers mobile sports betting.
Inspiration for Louisiana Bill
Mena isn’t the first politician to introduce legislation aimed at prohibiting sports wagering advertisements. Last year, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the Betting on Our Future Act. That bill sought to “prohibit the advertising of sportsbooks on any medium of electronic communication subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission.”
Tonko’s bill was fashioned after the legislation signed into law in 1970 by President Nixon — a Republican — that banned tobacco companies from advertising on television.
With some form of sports wagering now live and legal in 38 states and Washington, DC, some politicians believe limiting related ads is pertinent to avert problem wagering. Some consumers and TV viewers see the frequency of these spots as an annoyance.
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Senate Bill 2780 was introduced earlier this month by four Republican state Senators and one Democrat. The measure seeks to amend the Mississippi Gaming Control Act to change the application process for new casino projects in Biloxi and other Gulf towns.
Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused much damage to Gulf casinos, state lawmakers allowed casinos to rebuild inland. That’s so long as the gaming floors remained 800 feet from their original barges. For a new casino on the Gulf, a proposed gaming space must be within 800 feet of the mean high-water line.
Last year, Biloxi’s local government contracted a private company to construct a $3 million pier near the intersection of Veterans Avenue and Beach Boulevard (U.S. Highway 90). The project gave the firm, RW Development, controlled by businessman Ray Wooldridge, access to property that’s within 800 feet of the mean high-water line. That’s critical to Wooldridge, who has for years been trying to secure state approval to build a casino resort.
Wooldridge owns the Big Play Entertainment Center, just inland from where the pier will be built. He wants to replace the arcade and amusement facility with a casino resort.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch sued Biloxi and Harrison County for issuing the pier contract without approval from the state. The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled against Fitch, and concluded that the county possessed the authority to approve the project without the developer holding a state Tidelands lease.
Casino Licensing Overhaul
SB 2780 would change the process for a Gulf casino developer to mandate that all applicants first obtain a Tidelands lease from the state. The Mississippi government owns the state’s tidelands — lands that are covered and uncovered daily by water as a result of tides.
The legislation would require casino developers to obtain a tidelands lease through the secretary of state’s office and be required to pay annual rent. The goal of the measure is to presumably thwart future casino developments following the controversial RW Development approval.
After RW secured access to property within the 800-foot mean high-water line, the Mississippi Gaming Commission in January gave site approval for a casino development.
Now more than ever, we need to restore a consistent regulatory environment to preserve the sand beach and encourage further investment and improvements in the Coast casino market,” bill sponsor Sen. David Blount (D-Hinds) told the Sun Herald.
Blount said he worked with Biloxi’s current casinos in authoring the bill.
The legislation seeks to make Wooldridge’s casino dreams costly. SB 2780 would additionally amend the requirements for a new casino to include a minimum of 300 hotel rooms, a 40,000-square-foot casino space, and an amenity “unique to the licensee’s market to encourage economic development and promote tourism.” SB 2780 has been directed to the Senate Gaming Committee for initial review.
Wooldridge thinks the Gulf casinos are simply afraid of new competition.
Wooldridge Backstory
Wooldridge sold his modular furniture company Space Master International for $270 million in 1999. He used part of the proceeds — $56 million — to acquire a 35% stake in the NBA Charlotte Hornets.
In 2002, Wooldridge was instrumental in relocating the Hornets to New Orleans, where they became the Pelicans. Wooldridge sold his stake in the Pelicans organization in 2004 for $65 million.
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In addition to the year-on-year numbers in the Magnolia State, the January 2024 total is well ahead of the $4.9 million in revenue generated in December. That’s a 36.7% jump, which occurred despite players spending less.
The total handle for the month dropped 22% to $44.6 million from the $57.2 million in the same month last year. The overall hold was just shy of 15%.
Parlay winnings account for more than a third of operator revenue in January. Mississippi operators have a history of success against the betting public when it comes to parlays. Parlays are when a bettor makes multiple wagers and ties them into the same bet. Mississippi operators have now posted a 20% hold or better for the 16th time in the last 19 months, according to the Gaming Commission numbers.
Football is another driver of revenue in January, with operators collecting $2.4 million thanks to a 15.2% win rate against a $15.9 million handle. Basketball bettors fared slightly better, with the house at a 7.1% hold winning operators $1.1 million.
Golf, tennis, soccer, auto racing, and mixed martial arts are covered in a catch-all “other” category and provided nearly $940K in operator revenue from $4.6 million in bets.
What About Online Sports Betting?
The latest monthly report comes as Mississippi lawmakers consider several online sports betting bills. Currently, legal sports wagers can only be placed at licensed retail sportsbooks. But legalized online sports betting is a step closer. HB 774 cleared the House by a 97-14 vote and the bill has now entered the state Senate.
HB 774 would legalize mobile sports betting, but require bettors to use online services from existing casinos. The Mississippi Mobile Online Sports Betting Task Force says there are 26 casinos in the state.
Two other measures — HB 271 and HB 625 — are also seeking to legalize online sports betting. This latest legislative action follows the authorization of the Mississippi Online Sports Betting Task Force last year to “undertake a comprehensive analysis” of sports betting.
Supporters of those measures are buoyed by the recent American Gaming Association annual report that shows the sports betting industry posted a record $11 billion in 2023 revenue.
Coastal Casino Revenue Also Climbs
Mississippi coastal casinos remain popular with bettors. About $29.1 million worth of bets were placed with retail sportsbooks in January, with revenue hitting $4 million. Football topped the action with $12 million wagered on the sport.
It’s a sure bet those numbers are being watched by lawmakers and casinos. Rep. Casey Eure (R-Saucier) is the primary sponsor of HB 774 and says “the number one goal is to protect our brick-and-mortar buildings.”
As previously reported by Casino.org, Mississippi casinos remain at odds with lawmakers and oppose an expansion of sports betting.
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Plaintiff Brent Nettles alleges in a claim filed in Mississippi’s Southern District federal court that casino security at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino unlawfully arrested and detained him during an incident that occurred on Friday, March 11, 2022. Nettles, a Florida resident, says the Beau Rivage enticed him to visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast casino with a comped stay.
Nettles says he enjoys gambling and is willing to lose up to $20K a year, as he sees it as a form of entertainment. Nettles, a general contractor in St. Augustine, says MGM Resorts, which operates the Beau Rivage, provided complimentary accommodations at the resort hotel from Thursday to Saturday.
Nettles’ attorneys wrote that during the evening of March 11, casino security determined their client to be intoxicated and asked him to leave. Nettles says he was simply enjoying a cocktail with his wife and parents after losing about $5,000 playing slots.
Nettles says he complied with the order to vacate the premises but returned after realizing he hadn’t paid his tab. That’s when casino security, according to the lawsuit’s allegations, “violently” tackled Nettles and “pinned” him to the ground.
Unlawful Arrest Allegation
Nettles claims in the court filing that he was recovering from a bilateral hip replacement surgery at the time. The forceful tackle was followed by security officers handcuffing him with zip ties, which he said were too tight and caused him pain.
The Beau Rivage employees unlawfully battered, restrained, and detained Nettles without probable cause and without the authority of law,” the civil complaint contends.
A Biloxi Police Department officer later arrived and charged Nettles with trespassing. Nettles was initially told by casino security that he was being detained for disorderly conduct.
Nettles says he suffered “severe” physical injury and damages, including harm to his radial nerves, and suffers from pain and numbness in his hands. The litigation brings seven counts against the casino — intentional battery, false arrest, false imprisonment/detention, malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, pain, and suffering, general and gross negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress, pain, and suffering.
Nettles is seeking financial damages for his related medical expenses, plus compensation for “pain and suffering.” The lawsuit also asks the court to award financial payment for his legal costs.
Case Faces Long Odds
MGM quickly dismissed Nettles’ lawsuit as frivolous. Attorneys representing the casino giant say Nettles’ recollection of the evening is untrue and surveillance video shows a reasonable detention.
This case is not a close call. The evidence does not support a punitive damage instruction. Plaintiff’s claims lack merit and should be dismissed,” MGM attorneys said in the casino’s response and request for summary judgment.
MGM’s legal team added that Beau Rivage has every right to deny a person access to the property for a variety of reasons.
“Plaintiff’s fixation on the intoxication issue is, frankly, irrelevant to the summary judgment analysis. Defendants would have been within their rights to tell the Plaintiff to leave because they didn’t like the shirt he was wearing. Such is the nature of the law permitting business owners to choose their customers,” the MGM response explained.
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The men were rushed to a local hospital and were reported in stable condition as of earlier this week. That’s following the incident at the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino in Baton Rouge.
One victim suffered fractures and the other had shoulder and elbow pain as of Thursday, according to Baton Rouge TV station WVLA.
According to officials at the Baton Rouge Fire Department, a cable connected to a ramp snapped, causing lights, ceiling fans, and glass doors to fall to the floor. After the incident, the casino was temporarily closed.
Following an unfortunate incident, The Belle of Baton Rouge is closed as we thoroughly assess the situation and make all repairs,” the casino said in a statement, adding that “The health and safety of our guests and team members are always our top priority.”
The Belle of Baton Rouge is a riverboat casino, whose gaming floor is being placed on dry land. The casino is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by CQ Holding.
Baby Dies at Casino-Hotel
Police are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the death of a recently-born baby at Granite Falls, Minnesota’s Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort hotel.
The one-month-old child was found unresponsive on Thursday. The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office was notified at about 6:30 a.m.
EMTs tried to resuscitate the child, but the infant was declared dead at the hotel, according to Bring Me The News, a Minnesota regional news site.
An autopsy will be performed by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.
“The case is currently under investigation, no further information is available at this time,” Upper Sioux Police Chief Dan DeSmet said in a statement.
Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort is a tribal gaming property that’s owned and operated by the Upper Sioux Community.
Burglary Suspect Arrested
A South Dakota man was apprehended this week following a theft at a Rapid City, S.D., gaming property.
Jeffery Engelien, 57, of Black Hawk, S.D., was charged Thursday after Tuesday’s early morning theft, when a safe at Chance’s Casino was broken into. Thousands of dollars were stolen before the suspect fled.
Engelien, who was identified as a former worker at the gaming property, was later charged with third-degree burglary in connection with the incident. More charges are possible.
His case was turned over to local prosecutors.
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Last March, the Mississippi Supreme Court said Biloxi local officials had the legal authority to contract a private company to build a new pier with handicapped accessible capabilities. The Harrison County Board of Supervisors and the City of Biloxi agreed with RW Development to construct the $3 million pier.
RW Development isn’t dolling out $3 million to help handicapped people venture down to the Gulf simply out of the goodness of the company’s heart, but instead has ulterior motives. Gaining control of the tidelands at the southeast corner of Beach Boulevard at Veterans Avenue will allow the company to pursue gaming on the property.
RW Development has been seeking to build a casino resort in Biloxi for 15 years. The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) has repeatedly voted against the project because RW Development’s parcel, located on the northwest corner of the Beach Blvd./Veterans Ave. intersection, was too far inland. Mississippi’s gaming statute permits land-based casinos so long as the gaming floors remain within 800 feet of the Gulf’s mean high-water line.
By securing the pier development and vacant property, RW Development can build a casino space on the land and its resort where it originally intended.
State Secretary Issues Rebuttal
Watson says the Biloxi casino project county and city officials agreed to and signed off on by state gaming regulators reeks of dirty politics.
This latest episode of the RW Development saga reeks more of politics than a legal development,” Watson declared in comments first reported by the Magnolia Tribune.
Watson said he “firmly” disagreed with the state Supreme Court decision that ruled Biloxi didn’t need state approval for the pier project, despite it being constructed on tidelands that the state controls. But “as an elected official and lawyer, I will follow the law regardless of whether I believe the Supreme Court’s decision was ill-conceived.”
The state official said he was surprised that the MGC last month signed off on the casino’s site approval application.
The Court held the City of Biloxi could build a replacement pier without a new lease from the State, solely allowing the rebuilding of a public pier. The Commissioners decided the simple existence of the original lease to rebuild a public pier was sufficient to give RW Development private opportunities on the public sand beach and to grant the very site approval that had three times been disallowed, yet now ‘meets all statutory regulatory requirements,'” Watson said.
“As the legislatively delegated trustee agent for the State’s Public Trust Tidelands and a Gulf Coast native, I strive to protect the Trust and ensure its benefit to all Mississippians, and the RW Development situation is no different,” Watson concluded.
Casino Plan TBD
RW Development has yet to unveil specifics about the scope of the casino resort it hopes to build in Biloxi. The company is led by local businessman Ray Wooldridge.
The MGC’s site approval provides RW with three years to submit its blueprint and have the project fully approved by state and local regulators.
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State gaming regulators last Thursday lent their blessing to RW Development and local businessman Ray Wooldridge, despite strong opposition from the city’s current casinos. The MGC issued site approval for a casino on RW Development property at Veterans Avenue at Beach Boulevard (US Highway 90).
Commissioners provided the site endorsement on several conditions. The approval is for three years, meaning RW Development will need to secure financing and have its design finished and approved during that time frame. The site approval cannot be transferred to another company without subsequent MGC approval.
RW Development must also construct a handicap-accessible pier, a project expected to cost over $3 million, and maintain the structure. As for the casino, the gaming space must stay within 800 feet of the mean high-water line, as required by state gaming law.
Pier Lease Turns Tide
Wooldridge wants to replace his Big Play Entertainment Center with a casino resort. But over the years, he’s faced a myriad of legal challenges and opposition to the project.
Wooldridge’s application was first denied in July 2008. That was because the MGC concluded that his property failed to meet the governing statutory and regulatory requirements that mandate Gulf Coast casinos to stay within 800 feet of the mean high-water line. Wooldridge unsuccessfully appealed the matter, but courts agreed that the 800 feet begins from where the mean high water meets the shore — not the toe of the seawall.
Wooldridge applied again in early 2017 after a new MGC was installed. The project was again denied, and an appeal was again upheld. He submitted a new plan in June 2017, but the site was for a third time rejected.
RW Development sought approval for a fourth time at the beginning of this year after agreeing to build a public pier on the city’s behalf through a lease agreement.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch sued Biloxi on allegations that it had no authority to contract the project to RW Development because it didn’t hold a tidelands lease for the property. Mississippi owns the state’s tidelands, which are lands that are covered and uncovered daily by water as a result of tides.
The state’s highest court in March of this year ruled against Fitch and said Biloxi possessed the authority to build the pier. That ruling was critical for Wooldridge, as it provided him with control of the land on the southeast corner of Beach Blvd. With the tract nearer to the mean high-water line, the MGC signed off on approving the site for gaming.
Local Opposition
Reps from some of Biloxi’s eight current casinos expressed their opposition to the site being approved for gaming. Michael Bruffey, deputy director of the Mississippi Hospitality and Gaming Association, which represents Gulf Coast casinos, opined in a letter to gaming commissioners that the property still doesn’t meet state qualifications for gaming.
Bruffey cited the City of Biloxi’s lease agreement with RW Development that prohibits gaming from occurring on the actual pier.
“The language in the lease itself clearly states that the lessee shall be entitled to the non-exclusive use and possession of the premises, and the lessee shall use the premises for the use of non-gaming,” said Bruffey.
The MGC disagreed with his argument.
“It appears that they don’t want additional competition,” Wooldridge told the Biloxi Sun Herald.
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Cordish is embarking on its third commercial gaming state by way of Louisiana. Officials with the Live! casino operator says they’ll spend $270 million to redevelop the former DiamondJacks Casino Resort in Bossier City, which it acquired from Foundation Gaming earlier this fall.
Cordish’s $270 million investment is in addition to the undisclosed acquisition price of DiamondJacks and its gaming license.
Cordish plans to build a new land-based casino and redevelop the property’s 500-room on-site hotel. The project additionally includes 25,000 square feet of customizable event space and numerous dining and drinking establishments.
Cordish tells Casino.org that Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana is projected to generate more than $35 million in gaming taxes for the City of Bossier and over $168 million in gaming taxes for the state within its initial five years in business. The resort is forecasted to employ 750 permanent positions and provide contract opportunities for local, minority, women- and veteran-owned businesses.
Cordish Chairman David Cordish and Rob Norton, president of Cordish’s Gaming Group and Live! Casinos, will be on hand December 13 for the groundbreaking ceremony. The company plans to open its Louisiana resort destination in early 2025.
First Land-Based Casino in Market
In 2018, Louisiana lawmakers amended the state’s gaming law to allow riverboats to move inland so long as they remain within 1,200 feet of their original barges. The casino amendment came after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and several other powerful hurricanes and tropical storms did much damage to riverboats, with some vessels even being picked up and slammed ashore by the weather events.
Before the 2018 change, Harrah’s New Orleans was the lone land-based casino in Louisiana. The redeveloped Queen of Baton Rouge opened as the second land-based casino earlier this year following a $200 million overhaul.
Cordish is set to bring the first brick-and-mortar casino to the Shreveport/Bossier City market. Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will be built directly off US Highway 71 and Interstate 20, approximately 20 miles from the Texas border and 40 miles from the Arkansas border.
Cordish’s gaming portfolio is currently headlined by Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland in Anne Arundel County near Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Cordish also manages Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia in the city’s Stadium District, and a so-called “mini-casino” in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Westmoreland called Live! Casino Pittsburgh.
DiamondJacks Saga
DiamondJacks closed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then-owner Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) decided to permanently shutter the aging riverboat in favor of relocating the Louisiana gaming concession to a more attractive market.
P2E pitched the residents of St. Tammany Parish with a $325 million casino resort in Slidell, but voters there rejected the project during a December 2021 local referendum. P2E subsequently decided to sell DiamondJacks to Foundation, a Mississippi gaming firm, which in turn, sold it to Cordish.
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This week, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board reported that gross gaming revenue (GGR) from the state’s 13 riverboats and two brick-and-mortar casinos totaled approximately $174.5 million. The revenue includes gaming wins from slot machines, table games, and sports betting.
October’s win represented a 2.5% year-over-year decline from October 2022. It marked the ninth consecutive month where gaming revenue declined from the same month in the previous year.
The Lake Charles market and its three riverboat casinos, Golden Nugget, L’Auberge, and Horseshoe, led the way in October with a GGR of roughly $63.4 million. That represented a decline of 4.2% from October 2022.
The boats in the Shreveport/Bossier market — Boomtown, Bally’s, Horseshoe, Sam’s Town, and Margaritaville — combined to win $44.8 million. Shreveport/Bossier was one of the bright spots last month, as that win represented a year-over-year GGR increase of 3.6%.
Market Report
The New Orleans market, consisting of Harrah’s New Orleans, one of the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos, and Boomtown and Treasure Chest, won $39.9 million. That’s a 12.2% year-over-year drop. Harrah’s accounted for most of the market wins at $19.6 million, representing a 5.1% decline from October 2022.
Baton Rouge gaming win totaled $20.6 million, a 13% surge. The recent opening of the reimagined Queen of Baton Rouge, which is now a land-based casino following an $85 million investment, fueled the market growth. The Queen’s revenue spiked 51% to about $6.4 million. The L’Auberge accounted for most of the remaining Baton Rouge GGR at $13.4 million, as the Belle won only about $800K.
Slots at the state’s four racetracks, Delta Downs, Louisiana Downs, Evangeline Downs, and the Fair Grounds, combined to win roughly $22.3 million. That’s a 13% loss from October 2022, when the tracks generated nearly $25.7 million in slot win.
Oddsmakers kept about $3.25 million of the $32.8 million in retail bets they took, a 28% year-over-year drop. Online sportsbooks fared better, keeping $39.2 million of the $276.2 million in bets wagered. That represented a 14% increase in mobile sports betting from October 2022.
Possible Reason for Ongoing Declines
Gaming is flourishing across most of the US. The American Gaming Association reported this week that commercial gaming revenue in the third quarter topped $16.1 billion. The industry is on pace to report its third consecutive year of record gaming revenue.
So, why is Louisiana’s gaming industry struggling? Matt Roob, senior vice president of analysis for Spectrum Gaming Group, a Pennsylvania-based gaming consultancy, believes video poker, which isn’t counted in the LGCB monthly gaming tally, continues to find favor with gamblers.
Video poker machines operate inside bars, restaurants, hotels, off-track betting parlors, and truck stops. There are 1,390 video gaming locations across the state, with 11,834 terminals as of October.
Video poker revenue has increased from $623.8 million in 2019 to $839.2 million in 2021.? ?
“People may be shifting their play and staying closer to home,” Roob told The Advocate in May 2022.
The machines, however, also experienced a bit of a rollback in 2022, as the gaming win fell to about $810 million.
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The Mississippi casino shooting led to the death of Nicholaus “Nick” Craig, 36, in September 2022.
Craig was in a car parked across from the Scarlet Pearl Casino in D’Iberville, Miss., at the time he was shot.
Craig was on his way to his relatives in Mobile, Ala. to celebrate his birthday. He stopped at the casino hotel with his girlfriend.
The couple had eaten dinner at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Later in the night, Craig left the hotel for a ride, apparently after having back pain from recent surgery.
Car Set Ablaze
Remains of Craig’s rental car, a dark blue Nissan Altima, were discovered at an apartment complex in Prichard, Ala. The car had been set on fire, destroying most of it,?WXXV, a Mississippi TV station, reported.
Craig was from Mobile and recently was living in California.
Several of those indicted this week were allegedly involved in the shooting and related crimes at the Mississippi casino.
Shootings at Bank Nightclub and Paparazzi Club, both in Mobile, also led to federal indictments.
The Bank Nightclub shooting on Sept. 18, 2022, took the life of Derek Shavers. He was believed to be an innocent bystander when he was allegedly shot by Reginald Dennis Alan Fluker.
The six indicted defendants were identified as Fluker, John Fitzgerald McCarroll, Darrius Dwayne Rowser, Karmelo Cortez Morris Derks, Jimaurice Pierce, and Lyteria Isheeia Hollis.
The six were indicted on Sunday in Mobile federal court. The indictments were unsealed on Tuesday.
Alleged Mastermind
McCarroll was accused of being the mastermind behind the shootings, according to AL.com, a regional news site in Alabama.
McCarroll, Fluker, Rowser, Pierce, and Hollis were indicted on federal conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire charges. McCarroll and Fluker also face murder-for-hire charges in another incident
Rowser and Derks were charged with conspiracy to commit carjacking and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
McCarroll and Hollis, who reportedly is McCarroll’s girlfriend, were also charged with obstruction and witness tampering.
In addition, Pierce was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm and illegal possession of a machine gun.
Previously, Rowser and Derks were charged in state court with first-degree murder in Craig’s death, according to Mississippi TV station WLOX.
McCarroll and Rowser also were charged by Mobile police for the 2022 Paparazzi Club shooting. Four victims were wounded during the Paparazzi Club shooting.
Derks, Pierce, and Rowser also were facing charges for a shooting at a Walmart in Mobile in December.
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Local media reported that a small crowd formed outside the Western Mississippi riverboat on Tuesday after a four-and-a-half-foot alligator was seen in the casino’s parking lot. Wildlife control soon arrived to capture the reptile.
The WaterView Casino lives up to its name, as the resort sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. Mississippi and much of the south and Gulf states have experienced a major drought this summer, which wildlife experts say is resulting in some animals, like alligators, being more active than usual.
Alligators are aquatic reptiles that require access to freshwater sources. With many of the shallow bodies of water they prefer dried up this summer, the gators have been on the move in search of areas with adequate water. Gators need water to prevent heat stroke.
WaterView is owned and operated by Mississippi-based Foundation Gaming. The resort has 600 slot machines, 10 table games, a sportsbook, and 122 hotel rooms.
Safely Relocated
Wildlife officials said the alligator that visited the WaterView Casino & Hotel was successfully captured and relocated to a more suitable, less-populated environment. It was a happy ending for both the gator and resort guests.
The WaterView Casino is an adults-only property. Guests must be at least 21 years of age to be anywhere on the property, including in the hotel, restaurants, pool, and casino.
Along with not meeting other entry minimums, like being a human being, the alligator likely didn’t meet WaterView’s age stipulation. The Louisiana Alligator Advisory Council explains that a gator at about 4′ 6″ is presumably a younger specimen.
Alligators are about 8″ to 9″ in length when they are hatched from eggs. Growth rates may vary from 2″ per year to 12″ per year, depending on the type of habitat the alligator is living in and the sex, size, and age of the alligator. Growth rates slow down as the alligators become older,” the council advises.
Alligators can live as long as humans and average about 70 years. Some apparently also enjoy a casino, as do many humans.
Along with this week’s alligator visiting the WaterView, the L’Auberge Casino Hotel in Lake Charles, La., earlier this year dealt with a gator visit. In the L’Auberge incident, a smaller alligator turned up in the resort’s lazy river.
Unlike the WaterView gator, the L’Auberge alligator wasn’t much larger than the kind an alligator tour would allow children to hold. The alligator was also relocated from the casino’s outdoor pool complex to a more appropriate environment.
Mississippi Struggles
Gaming revenue in Mississippi is going south. The state’s 26 commercial casinos in 2021 reported gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $2.66 billion. GGR last year dropped to $2.57 billion, a 3.6% year-over-year decline. Still, 2022’s gaming win easily bested the state’s 2019 total of approximately $2.2 billion.
Gaming’s downward trend has continued this year. GGR from January through August totaled $1.67 billion. Through the same eight months last year, casino win was about $1.73 billion.
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Gross gaming revenue (GGR) from the state’s 15 riverboats and lone land-based casino totaled approximately $164.1 million in July 2023. That represents a 6% decrease, or a $10.7 million fall from the $174.8 million that the 16 casinos won in July 2022.
July marked Louisiana’s sixth consecutive month, where statewide gaming revenue was below the same month in 2022.
Harrah’s New Orleans, the state’s only land-based casino, reported July revenue of $17.4 million. That’s a 23% decline from the more than $22.6 million the Caesars-operated casino won in the same month last year.
The three-casino Lake Charles market led the way with a total GGR of $60.5 million. That figure represents a 7% drop from July 2022. L’Auberge Lake Charles reported a GGR of? $27.1 million, down about 1%, while the Golden Nugget saw gaming win tumble almost 12% to $25.8 million. The Horseshoe’s win was off even more, down 14% to just $7.5 million.
The revenue doesn’t include income from sports betting, which was a bright spot for the Louisiana gaming industry last month. Oddsmakers won about $12.5 million off bettors, an 8% year-over-year increase.
Shreveport & Bossier City Offset Some Losses
It wasn’t only Lake Charles casinos and Harrah’s New Orleans that saw revenue slide in July, as riverboats in Baton Rouge also experienced declines. The Belle, Hollywood, and L’Auberge Baton Rouge casinos collectively won $19.3 million, a 3% year-on-year slowdown.
L’Auberge, which dominates the Baton Rouge market, reported flat revenue from a year ago at $14.4 million. Hollywood’s GGR tumbled 15% to $3.7 million, and the Belle of Baton Rouge’s $1.2 million win was down over 3%.
July wasn’t all bad, however, as the six boats in the Shreveport/Bossier City market combined to win nearly $48 million, which was roughly flat from a year ago.
The 15 riverboat casinos won $146.6 million in July 2023, a nearly 4% dip compared with July 2022.
Heat Could Sizzle August Revenue
Casino.org was in Lake Charles this past weekend and checked in on business at the three boats.
Much of Louisiana remains amid extreme heat. The oppressive temperatures have been accompanied by a drought, with the last significant rainfall in Lake Charles coming back on July 6.
The National Weather Service says tomorrow, August 23, could be the hottest day on record for much of the Bayou State. Temperatures are expected to climb above the 100-degree Fahrenheit mark across the state daily through next Monday.
The daytime UV index remains listed as “Extreme” by the NWS, and the afternoon Heat Index — or what it feels like — is expected upwards of 110 degrees today through Monday evening.
With even longtime Louisianians finding the heat unbearable, outdoor activities have been limited. That could result in some locals frequenting the state’s casinos to escape the relentless sun.
During our trip this past weekend, the Golden Nugget was bustling, and the casino floor was extremely busy. Many vehicles in the parking garage sported Texas license plates, as the Houston metro is Lake Charles’ primary feeder market.
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KISS frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had been toying with the idea of renovating and reopening the former Margaritaville as their second Rock & Brews Casino. Their first opened in Braman, Okla. in May 2022.
Their blueprint called for a $200 million overhaul of the 40,000 square-foot casino, which would have featured more than 1,000 slot machines, several dozen table games, and a sportsbook, as well as a 3,000-seat concert venue and a new 300-room hotel.
A groundbreaking was planned for March 15, 2020, when KISS was scheduled to perform at the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. Both events were canceled during the pandemic shutdown, and the duo’s interest in obtaining the property apparently waned.
No New Casino in Cards
A new casino is apparently not in the cards for the site. According to the Sun Herald, Mohney plans a multivenue attraction with two restaurants — a Dick’s Last Resort no doubt being one — bars and entertainment, such as karaoke and axe throwing.
The sale price wasn’t disclosed, though the asking price was $4.9 million.
Mohney will reportedly keep one remnant from the property’s casino days. A boxing ring will bring fights back to the area, according to his attorney.
Wasting Away After Margaritaville
The 68,000 square-foot structure — located on the former East Harrison County Industrial Park in the Back Bay area of Biloxi — was built for $48 million. It was opened by music superstar Jimmy Buffett with Grand Casinos founder Tom Brosiq on May 22, 2012, under a license from Buffett’s restaurant and bar brand.
Margaritaville Biloxi featured 820 slot machines and 18 table games, as well as two levels of dining decks and a marina with waterside entertainment, food, and drinks.
Buffet, a native of nearby Pascagoula, performed at the grand opening.
In June 2013, the casino became the first in the state’s history to offer outdoor gaming, which included three blackjack tables.
The venture closed a little more than two years after opening. An unresolved dispute with the landlord, which blocked the financing needed to build a hotel, was blamed. Its final day of operation was Sept. 15, 2014. The property was listed for sale the next year for $18 million.
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On Thursday, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to providing guns and money to the Jihadist terror organization.
Al-Azhari was arrested by the FBI in May 2020. The feds say he scoped out several possible targets for a planned Tampa-area atrocity, including Honeymoon Island, Bayshore Boulevard, and the FBI’s Tampa Field Office, in addition to the Hard Rock.
He allegedly told an undercover FBI agent that he wanted to kill “at least 50” his fellow Americans and other “infidels,” including his own father, according to court filings.
Imprisoned by Saudis
Just weeks before his arrest, Al-Azhari bought an Uzi, a bullet-proof vest, and a drone. He also tried to order firearm parts and a silencer from eBay. He filmed a mock rehearsal of himself carrying out a massacre, which was discovered when agents seized his cellphone.
He also told colleagues at the Home Depot store where he worked that those who died in the Twin Towers on 9-11 “got what they deserved” and expressed admiration for Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen.
As a teenager in 2015, Al-Azhari attempted to reach Syria to join ISIS, but was arrested, imprisoned, and tortured by Saudi authorities.
His defense lawyer argued last year that this experience exacerbated pre-existing mental health problems, causing him to “experience visual hallucinations and to talk to people who were not there.”
Guilty Plea
Feds began investigating Al-Azhari after the Saudis shipped him back to the US in December 2018, prosecutors said.
After his release, his paranoia and delusions worsened, and he took to “sleeping by the front door at night and waking up in panic, thinking that the FBI or Saudi spies were going to kill him,” according to court documents.
Al-Azhari was initially ruled unfit to stand trial by a US district judge. But that decision was overturned by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in December last year.
He pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this year. His 18-year sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Five days after his arrest, Al-Azhari’s sister, Heba Momtaz Al-Azhari, was shot dead after she attacked a police officer with a knife in Temple Terrance, Fl.
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Once afloat, the boats damaged some nearby docks. A bait shop was also heavily damaged, according to Alabama TV station WALA.
The boat owners will be reimbursed for any damage, officials revealed this week.
The city also temporarily closed a boat ramp while workers repaired the docks and collected debris in the water.
We had no injuries. That was a blessing there for sure,” Bayou La Batre Mayor Henry Barnes Sr., told WALA as he assessed the scene. “No fatalities or anything like that.”
When word got out that the bait shop was destroyed, nearby bait shop owners quickly offered their assistance.
“That’s how it is down here. Everyone helps one another,” Barnes said.
Bayou La Batre is 27 miles southwest of Mobile, Ala. The small fishing village is called the seafood capital of Alabama in reference to its heavy involvement in commercial seafood like shrimp.
This week is not the first time casino boats broke loose during nasty weather in the area, residents told WALA.
In 2020, at about the time Hurricane Sally struck the area, two abandoned riverboat casinos broke free from docks in Bayou La Batre. Afloat, they also struck docks, according to Louisiana TV station WGNO.
Renovations to Harbor
When Hurricane Katrina struck the region in 2005, the docks also were damaged.
The docks were constructed in the 1960s and have weathered many storms. Currently, a major project is underway to renovate the docks and nearby locations. When completed in 2025, pavement, parking lots, docks, a ramp, and a launch will be improved or added. City officials envision many customers coming to the area to purchase freshly caught shrimp.
The city will also construct a pavilion that can be used for such occasions as weddings. A farmer’s market is also planned.
Floating Casino Smashes into Bridge Pillars
Floating casinos in other locations have also broken loose because of stormy weather.
In 2020, when Hurricane Laura struck Louisiana, a floating riverboat called Grand Palais got loose from a mooring, according to The Advocate, a Baton Rouge, La., news organization.
Once afloat, it struck pillars under the Calcasieu River Bridge on I-10 in Lake Charles. The casino boat was wedged under the bridge and forced the bridge to be closed for a while.
The storm was a Category 4 hurricane.
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