Thirty-three students at the University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism have produced the 30-minute documentary “Casinos in Mississippi: Worth the Gamble?” The film explores the positive and negative impacts of casinos in the state since they were legalized in the 1990s.
Under guidance of Dr. Brad Schultz and Dr. Kathleen Wickham, the students traveled to Philadelphia, Tunica and Natchez and other locales to interview state casino industry leaders, government officials and others about a variety of casino issues, focusing on the casino industry’s history, socioeconomic effects, political considerations and solutions.
In Philadelphia, students visited the vast reservation of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians that covers 35,000 acres over 10 counties in east Mississippi. Descendants of the Choctaws who refused to relocate to Oklahoma, the tribe operates the Pearl River Casino Resort, comprised of the Silver Star Casino, opened in 1994, and the recently renovated Golden Moon Casino. Interviews revealed tension between the tribe and local businesses.
In Tunica, which had been one of the poorest counties in the nation, students found the casinos, opened in 1994, transformed the city. Webster Franklin, president and chief executive officer of the Tunica Convention and Visitors’ Bureau recalled when the town only could offer 20 hotel rooms. However, Tunica is changing again as Harrah’s casino closed and revenues are falling.
Vicksburg and Natchez casinos also are featured in the documentary, which can be viewed at http://umjournalist.wix/com/mississippicasinos.
