Posted on: December 16, 2024, 12:56h.
Last updated on: December 16, 2024, 01:06h.
Mississippi is home to one of the largest and richest casino markets in the United States. When lawmakers gather next month in the state Capitol in Jackson, a discussion about further expanding the gaming industry is expected.
Mississippi is currently home to six commercial land-based casinos and 20 riverboats. The Magnolia State is additionally home to three tribal casinos.
The commercial gaming venues are confined to the Gulf Coast where 12 riverboats and brick-and-mortar casinos in Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, and Gulfport won almost $1.6 billion last year. That ranked as the fifth-richest gaming market in the country behind only Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Chicagoland, and Baltimore-Washington, DC.
Mississippi’s other commercial casinos are located along the Mississippi River, with major gaming hubs being Vicksburg and Tunica. Jackson, centrally located in Hinds County, is a roughly 45-minute drive from the closest casino in Vicksburg.
A group of local businesspeople in Jackson want to bring Las Vegas closer to Jackson.
Jackpots in Jackson?
Capital City Forward Together consists of five people led by former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R). The group seeks to lobby state lawmakers and current Gov. Tate Reeves (R) into backing legislation to allow a land-based casino in Jackson.
The City of Jackson has seen better days. Its population continues to decline, with the US Census Bureau reporting that the population dropped by 6.5% from April 2020 and July 2023. Between the 2010 and 2020 census, Jackson’s population tumbled 11.5% from 173,514 to 153,701, a loss of almost 20K residents.
Jackson’s 2023 median household income of $43,238 was substantially below the statewide average of $54,203. Mississippi has the lowest median household income in the country. About 27% of the Jackson City population lives in poverty. Jackson’s homicide rate of almost 20 people per 100K is among the highest rates of any city in the country.
Capital City Forward Together believes a casino resort could deliver Jackson the spark it so desperately needs. The group contends that a casino in the capital city would give new reason for Mississippians and southerners in nearby states to visit the city named after Andrew Jackson.
We are recommending within a mile or so of the capitol so it brings the jobs, brings the people,” William Richardson, one of the five members involved with Capital City Forward Together, told WLBY3. “It restores the core of our city.”
For a casino to be allowed in Jackson, the state’s gaming law would need to be amended. The current statute limits the Mississippi Gaming Commission to reviewing casino proposals only for projects on or near the Mississippi River and Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Land-based casinos can only be considered along the Gulf for developments located no more than 800 feet from the 19-year mean high water line.
Bidding War
Capital City Forward Together is encouraging state lawmakers to draft a bill that would amend Mississippi’s casino law to allow a single brick-and-mortar casino in Jackson. The group has proposed only qualifying the state’s current casino operators to bid for the opportunity.
The winning bidder would need to pay the state a one-time $10 million licensing fee should the scheme pitched by Capital City Forward Together move forward. They also tell the state Legislature that no tax or other incentives are needed to spur interest.
“You don’t need to give a casino any tax money,” added Richardson. “You don’t need to invest in it. They got the money. We have this opportunity to do something that brings in economic development without asking the taxpayer for a dollar.”
