In 1997, Tunica County cut property taxes by 25 percent. “We wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without gaming,” Johnson says. The bright lights of the Grand Casino (above) contrast sharply with a pastoral scene several miles west of downtown. Recreation Complex, which features a 38,700-square-foot county sports complex with an eight-lane swimming pool, basketball courts, a boxing ring and a workout facility. the Tunica National Golf and Tennis Center, which opened in March 2004 and.the Tunica County Library, which has doubled in size at a cost of $1.5 million.Charter flights carry passengers to Tunica from at least 12 states the Tunica Airport, which completed a $38 million expansion in 2000.The $26 million RiverPark has attracted more than 100,000 visitors over the past two years Tunica RiverPark, which includes a museum, aquarium, nature trails and a deck overlooking the Mississippi River.Built in 2001, this $24 million venue already is undergoing a $5 million expansion the 48,000-square-foot Tunica Arena and Expo Center, which attracts more than 200,000 visitors every year for trade shows and other events.County officials say that Tunica has benefited from millions of dollars in capital projects since 1992, including: The Tunica County Board of Supervisors decides how to spend the local money. Tunica gaming revenue is subject to a 12 percent tax: 8 percent from the state and 4 percent from Tunica County. In 2005, tax revenue totaled about $254 million, despite Hurricane Katrina knocking out the Gulf Coast casinos for nearly four months. Through the first 10 months of 2006, the 26 casinos in Mississippi had generated almost $245 million in tax revenue for state and local governments, according to the Mississippi Gaming Commission. Unemployment is about one-half what it was in the pre-casino days.Ĭasino development also has had dramatic implications for local government finance. The county had just 2,000 jobs in 1992 and almost 17,000 jobs in 2005, according to the security commission. The average annual salary of a Tunica County resident has gone from $12,700 in the early 1990s to $26,000 in 2004, according to the Mississippi Employment Security Commission. “The bottom line is that people have jobs,” Johnson says. The Tunica casino industry employs about 15,000 workers, most of them getting on-the-job training. Gamblers can choose from more than 14,000 slots and 400 table games and stay in one of more than 6,300 hotel rooms. Now, about 12 million people try their luck every year at casinos here, making Tunica the largest casino market in the Eighth District and the fifth largest in the United States, according to the American Gaming Association. In 1991, the year before the first casino opened, Tunica County had 15.7 percent unemployment, the highest in Mississippi and 6.8 percentage points higher than the state average. “I remember when there was nothing here.”įlash back to the “old Tunica.” Residents had depended for decades on the cotton industry for jobs the introduction of high-tech farming tools cut the need for actual farmers, however. More than 50 Gold Strike employee volunteers also received Red Cross training in damage assessment and shelter operations.“There’s no way to forget,” says Clifton Johnson, the Tunica County administrator and a life-long Tunica resident. In addition, a temporary dining facility, known as the "Levee Café," has been open 24/7 for employees, emergency management and other government officials, first responders, gaming industry employees and anyone else interested in a free hot meal during the resort's temporary closure. The employee health clinic, located across the levee from the resort, has remained open during the shutdown and human resource representatives are onsite seven days a week. ![]() For employees who live in flooded areas, MGM Resorts is helping facilitate access to company emergency relief funds and federal assistance. MGM Resorts guaranteed Gold Strike employees full pay and benefits including tips, throughout the closure. Now comes the exciting part, where we get to bring our incredible employees back to reopen the property and re-ignite tourism to the region." Once secure, our focus turned to mitigation efforts and asset protection. "Our initial priority was the safety of our employees and guests. ![]() Corchis, Jr., president and COO of MGM Resorts International Regional Operations. "We're anxious to open our doors for our customers and to get our employees back to work," said George P.
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