Biloxi Casino Plans Advance as MGC Considers Two Venues

Summary:

• Tullis Gardens Hotel and the Tivoli development are in the works.
• The casinos would be located just blocks from each other.
• Developers need site approval to move forward with plans.

Plans to bring two new US casinos to East Biloxi, Mississippi, are advancing as developers have started seeking approvals via the state’s Gaming Commission. Tullis Gardens Hotel (pictured left) and the Biloxi Capital Tivoli (pictured right) development will be located very close to each other but are separate entities.

The operator behind the Tullis Gardens Hotel casino wants to locate the venue near the Gulf Coast, while the Biloxi Capital project would be located near the Biloxi Yacht Club. Both developers need approval for the locations before construction can begin.

Moving Forward with Presentations

Tullis Gardens will present its plans today to the Gaming Commission in Jackson. As far as the Biloxi Capital site is concerned, the developer has listed the location in the Sun Herald, and the commission will consider it after the notice has run for three weeks.

Once the two casinos receive site approval, they must complete several other steps to reach the finish line. Developers must submit detailed plans after site approval and show financial records to indicate they can complete the projects.

The Tullis Gardens Hotel was first proposed as a resort, but additional studies indicated that a casino would help ensure the location’s profits. The developer decided to add 100 more hotel rooms, bringing the total to 300. This meets the Gaming Commission’s requirements for a casino venue.

This property will have a 53,280-square-foot casino with just over 900 slots and 35 table games. A sportsbook will also be located on-site. The resort will have a reproduction of Tullis Manor, a historic site in the region that Hurricane Katrina destroyed.

The Biloxi Capital Tivoli Project

The second casino in the works will be located on a 32-acre site near the Biloxi Yacht Club. The site was originally proposed in 2007 as a $1 billion Tivoli Casino development. After Hurricane Katrina, Biloxi Capital LLC and Developer Danny Conwill acquired the property for $40 million.

The property is still zoned for casino development, and the proposal would include a hotel with 1,300 guest rooms, a 100,000-square-foot casino, a sportsbook, 2,000 slot machines, 75 table games such as Blackjack and roulette.

Biloxi is already home to eight casinos and there have been several proposals over the years. These two plans must gain serious approvals and meet several requirements before any real plans come to fruition.

It will be interesting to see if the casinos are approved and how quickly the properties are constructed, so players can begin visiting and taking advantage of all available services.