Two Biloxi Casino Proposals to Go Before MGC; One Already Facing Lawsuit
By the end of the month, the Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) will hear two proposals for casinos in east Biloxi, according to the Sun Herald. The first will be from Tullis Gardens Hotel and Casino, and after that will be Tivoli Casino.
The Tullis Gardens project, owned by Israel Schwartz and Luke Lenzi, proposes a 53,280-square-foot casino with 900 slots, 35 tables, a sportsbook and a 300-room hotel. The Tivoli project, owned by Biloxi Capital and Danny Conwill, proposes 100,000 square feet of gaming space with 2,000 slots, 75 tables, a sportsbook, convention space and a 1,300-room hotel.
But on Oct. 16, Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson filed suit against Tullis’ developers, alleging that the project needs a tidelands lease and will not have access to the shoreline without one. Per WLOX, Watson is arguing “that the City of Biloxi falsely represented to Tullis Gardens that the Tullis Manor property included land to the water line. It also states that Tullis Gardens’ lease agreement with the City of Biloxi to build a public pier was only for the purpose of applying for gaming site approval.”
Both projects have been in the works for several years. Tullis Gardens was originally proposed as a non-gaming resort before a feasibility study concluded it would need a casino to be profitable. It is unclear how the recent suit will impact the proposal process. The Tivoli site was purchased after Hurricane Katrina and has been zoned for casinos since 2007. If the sites are approved by the MGC, there are several more steps related to planning and funding before construction can begin.
Bally’s Submits New Renderings for Resort on A’s Stadium Site
Now that the Tropicana Las Vegas has been imploded, construction can begin on the Oakland A’s new $1.5 billion stadium that will encompass nine of the 35 acres on the site. But stakeholders have submitted details as to what the rest of the site could look like.
On Oct. 17, Bally’s Corp., Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) and Athletics StadCo submitted materials to the Clark County Department of Comprehensive Planning that outline a potential resort with three hotel towers that flank the stadium. The land itself is owned by GLPI and Bally’s leased the Tropicana before relinquishing it for demolition.
The proposed resort would be built in three phases, and would eventually feature all the amenities of a typical Strip resort such as a casino, sportsbook, dining options, convention space and more. But Bally’s was sure to note that the designs aren’t binding, and are simply meant to give officials a visual example of how a casino may integrate with the stadium.
“The designs are initial massing diagrams intended to ensure that both our resort program and the A’s stadium program can be successfully accommodated on the site. We anticipate that the designs will evolve as we advance the project,” Bally’s said in a statement to KSNV.
Sanborn Arrested on New Fraud Charge as Casino Sale Stalls
Andy Sanborn, the former New Hampshire state senator who is being forced to sell his Concord Casino due to fraud allegations related to Covid relief funds, was arrested Oct. 16 in relation to a separate charge. According to the New Hampshire Bulletin, Sanborn is now accused of misrepresenting the casino’s gross receipts by about $1 million in order to increase its relief grant by $188,474.
This charge is separate from Sanborn’s ongoing scandal, in which he is accused of misappropriating nearly $850,000 in relief funds to buy sports cars and pay himself back rent. No charges have yet been filed related to that matter, but that scandal is what led to him being forced to sell Concord Casino, and that process is still ongoing as well.
The sale deadline had previously been extended to Sept. 30 but the judge overseeing the sale, Gregory Albert, essentially extended the process again by about 50 days through a circuitous legal ruling that has since been challenged by the state.
Currently, Sanborn has a buyer in place who is undergoing a suitability review from the state attorney general’s office. If the prospective buyer is not found suitable for licensure, Sanborn’s casino will lose its license for two years, essentially rendering it worthless.
Norfolk Casino to Break Ground Oct. 30
The Norfolk, Va. casino project from the Pamunkey Tribe and Boyd Gaming will finally break ground on Oct. 30, officials announced this week. The project, which was beset by years of setbacks and delays, was approved by the Norfolk City Council earlier this month by a 7-1 vote.
Jon Yarbrough, the billionaire founder of Video Gaming Technologies (VGT), was the tribe’s original development partner. But he ultimately exited the venture by selling his stake in the casino’s development company to Boyd Gaming earlier this year. Once Boyd entered the fray, the project finally got off the ground and secured its long-sought approval.
Plans call for a temporary casino to open by next November in order to satisfy licensing deadlines. After that, the permanent location will feature 1,500 slots, 50 tables and a 200-room hotel.
Binion’s, Four Queens Opt to Change Dealer Tip Policy
Two downtown Las Vegas properties, Binion’s and the Four Queens, have opted to change their policy to allow dealers to keep their own tips, a big shift from most casinos that prefer to have employees pool tips for uniformity and easier accounting. Both casinos are owned by TLC Enterprises.
Binion’s has already implemented the policy and the Four Queens will do so at the end of the month. Officials told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that some dealers opted to leave when the change was first announced, but since then, a number of new dealers from other casinos have joined.
“The dealers, who used to average $50-$60 a day were now averaging $150 on the swing shift,” Glen Casale, director of operations for the two casinos, told the Review-Journal. “So it attracted a lot of dealers from other casinos. We were 30 to 40 percent below where we needed to be on swing shift and now we have enough dealers over everything.”
Steve Wynn’s Former Lake Tahoe Estate Sets Sales Record
Old Forge, a sprawling five-acre Lake Tahoe estate originally built by former casino mogul Steve Wynn, sold for $62 million in a deal that closed Oct. 11, according to the Ledger-Enquirer. That price is the highest ever for a Lake Tahoe property.
Built in 1994 by Wynn, he eventually sold it in 1998 for $17 million. The most recent owners were Norah and Michael Lacey, who purchased it for $31 million in 2017. Among other amenities, the property boasts 210 feet of private beach space in a neighborhood known as Billionaire’s Row.
