The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians announced they will borrow up to 5 million to fully reopen the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino and renovate the Silver Star Hotel & Casino, both part of the Pearl River Resort in Choctaw. Chief Phyliss J. Anderson said the loan is expected to be signed this month and “will save millions of dollars in interest payments. Renovating Silver Star and reactivating Golden Moon are vital to our continued success and cannot be delayed.”
Anderson said the tribe will spend about $88.1 million over the next two years, including $32.3 million to purchase new slot machines, $22.4 million to update the hotels, $7.6 million to refurbish the Golden Moon, $7 million to refinance the Dancing Rabbit Inn. The tribe also may spend $18.8 million to build a casino in the Carthage area that could create 170 new jobs, Anderson said.
Opened in 2002, the Golden Moon has operated on weekends only since early 2009, following the recession and a decrease in visitors, which also led to the elimination of 570 jobs at the resort. In the last two years, Anderson said, the resort has become more profitable, leading the tribe to consider building more gambling facilities. Holly Gagnon, president and chief executive officer at Pearl River Resort said, “Expanding into the Carthage/ Red Water community would allow the resort to leverage its great highway access and its proximity to the greater Jackson market.”
Pearl River Resort includes the Silver Star Hotel & Casino, Golden Moon Hotel & Casino, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club, Geyser Falls Water Theme Park and Bok Homa Casino.
