Since 2007, gaming revenues in Mississippi declined by 27.5 percent. However, according to RubinBrown Gaming Services Group, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi gaming generated .28 billion in combined gaming revenue in 2015, up 4.7 percent over 2014. Louisiana led the trio with .65 billion in revenue in 2015, up 7.1 percent over 2014. Mississippi gaming generated .1 billion in revenue last year, a 1.4 percent year-over-year gain. In 2015, Mississippi’s 12 Gulf Coast casinos had over 10 million out-of-state visitors, down 4 percent from 2014, but revenue increased 6.5 percent from 2014. In Bay St. Louis/Gulfport, casinos posted 1.5 million, a 17 percent increase over 2014. Biloxi casinos produced 6 million in revenue, a 3.3 percent increase over 2014.
In Biloxi, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino had a very good 2015, said General Manager Todd Raziano. “Over the past two years, our ownership, Twin River Management Group, has invested heavily with the addition of a new 154-room hotel tower, the addition of multiple restaurants and an ongoing hotel suite remodel. These enhancements together with our marketing programs have been well received by our guests.”
Raziano added the property added a VIP lounge and several new dining options in the last year, including the poolside Tequila’s on the Gulf, Half Shell Oyster House and the Pie Five Pizza Company. The property also renovated its nightclub and added meeting space.
Raziano said, like other gaming operations, Hard Rock is working to attract the Millennial market. “Millennials are a focus for all gaming resorts and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi is constantly looking for opportunities to capture this audience. This summer, we have partnered with famous mixologist Richard Gomez, a USBG member and Diageo World Class U.S. Ambassador, who will bring his unique passion to Hard Rock with custom cocktails, live appearances and more. Mixology and custom cocktails that you can’t get anywhere else is a hot trend for the younger clientele.. They want custom. They want unique. They want to be the trendsetter,” Raziano said.
He added, “Additionally, we are booking headline entertainment that appeals to the younger generations.” A new live theatrical stage production, Show Risque, will be presented exclusively at Hard Rock Live starting June 2, Raziano said. The 9,000 square foot theater at Hard Rock Live can accommodate 2,000 guests. “We also have nine bars, two dance clubs and three live music venues.”
Another way the property is reaching out to younger players is through social media, Raziano said, “which allows us to have a two-way conversation with them and lets us actively insert ourselves where they already are consuming media and spending their time.”
Raziano noted Hard Rock’s motto is “LOVE ALL. SERVE ALL.” He said, “We have extensive guest service training in place to ensure we deliver on that promise. When you are competing for business with 12 other casinos in the market, you have to have a differentiator. Ours is music as well as the best service on the Coast. The relationships that we build with our guests are the single most important thing we do in a day. We hope that their experience with us will be so impactful that they will not only return, but recommend Hard Rock to friends and family.”
The Gulf Coast has established itself as a premier gaming destination, Raziano said. However, ne noted, “In order to generate continued growth, it is very important to supplement the gaming experience with other activities that are appealing, like substantial investments such as MGM Park, additional hotel rooms and restaurants that drive more visitors which in turn inspire new developments. Success breeds success.”
