No reopening date is in sight for Mississippi’s 26 commercial casinos which closed by order of the state gaming commission at midnight, March 16. Commission Executive Director Allen Godfrey said, “I do not have an idea when casinos can reopen but will wait to get guidance from our health officials and elected leaders.”
Godfrey said the decision to close the casinos was especially challenging because of the impact on the industry’s 19,000-plus employees. Mississippi Gaming Association Executive Director Larry Gregory said some casinos are paying their employees for a specified period of time, then they’ll be eligible for unemployment. “We will wait for the necessary federal and state health entities to decide that business can safely resume,” Gregory said.
In February, State Economist Darrin Webb said gaming contributed $9.4 million a month to the state’s general fund. “If the casinos are closed three months, the general fund loses roughly $35.7 million; if closed six months, it’s roughly $68.9 million. In fiscal year 2019, gaming transfers to the general fund were $136.6 million with gaming representing 2.3 percent of the general fund.”
Godfrey noted, “The impact of Covid-19 has been major to our industry. The closing of 26 casinos is a tough pill to swallow for our casino employees and state economy. However, we have been through other events in our history–flooding, oil spill and hurricanes from which we have learned. This is not our first rodeo. Like other catastrophic events we have endured, we will overcome this event and our casinos will reopen with vigor. We are all anxiously waiting for that day.”
