By:
HEARD IT ON THE RIVER
By Rudi Schiffer
HARRAH’S has “gone green” with a unique initiative that was prompted by employee concerns and being Harrah’s, the announcement was done in a big way last week at an employee rally in the parking lot behind Horseshoe. With several hundred green-sweatered clad employees on hand, not to mention cheerleaders, GM BILL WRIGHT of Grand, Sheraton and Horseshoe, kicked off a big recycling and conservation program for the three properties that is expected to divert 150-200 tons of waste per month from landfills. Money received in the sale of recycled items will held fund Harrah’s Heart Fund available to employees in times of crisis.” Our employees really wanted to do this and they provided the momentum for the largest casino recycling program to date in Tunica,” he told us.
HARLOW’S CASINO in Greenville on Highway 82 West may be in a “soft open” mode as you read this but if not, we do know that the old possum, GEORGE JONES, is scheduled to open the new 2,500 seat theatre there at the grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 8, according to GM DOM MEZZETTA, whose crew has been working their collective tails off getting the 33,000 square foot casino and 105 room hotel ready for the big event down in the Delta. The casino marks the return to Mississippi of a gaming pioneer, RICK SCHILLING, who with his brother Ron brought SPLASH CASINO to Tunica in 1992. It paved the way for the gold rush that followed. Located between the bridges just west of Greenville, Harlow’s has 900 slots, 15 table games and 7 poker tables. You might recognize the buffet room…it is located in the restaurant half of the former boat that was at Moon Landing. Need a VIP contact there, call EXECUTVE HOST MIKE BRIDGES at 1-662-335-9797. With a glamorous 30’s art deco theme, Harlow’s is also considering a world class golf course and luxury spa in the future.
While MYRIAD ENTERTAINMENT continues its pursuit of funds to build its planned $1.3 billion destination resort in Tunica County, the Delaware Corporation has made some positive progress and to date has accomplished the following: site approval for up to six casinos, up to $71 million in tax increment financing, up to $291 million in a tourism grant from the Miss. Development Authority, approval of property zoning and development plan and Public Improvement District up to $299 million. In the meantime, Myriad says it has a 90-day extension on a closing date with the Jack Day Perry family to purchase more than 500 acres of land south of Hollywood Casino. As they say in the casino biz, “no chips, no chance.” Let’s hope those chips are coming and this deal gets done as it could provide a huge boost in visits to the County. The company aggressively continues its discussions with potential funding sources and maybe, just maybe, this will all come to fruition.
SOUTHLAND GAMING AND RACING is offering the Twelve Tournaments of Christmas on the first 12 days of December. It is a series of charity tournaments including video poker, blackjack and greyhound handicapping with all the proceeds going to Toys for Tots. It’s easy to participate…just bring a new unwrapped toy valued at no less than $20 and with a $20 buy-in, you can play Santa for some needy kids. If you like poker, don’t forget the $1 MILLION BAD BEAT JACKPOT now underway at the Park in West Memphis. Sponsored by POKER TEK, the bad beat jackpot is triggered when a rare combo of events take place, in this case with four of a kind of sixes beaten by a Royal Flush on the automated tables. The odds are long but when was the last time you had a shot at a million smackers doing something you like? Gaming boss KEVIN TOLLIVER says players love the technology of the automated poker tables because it is faster, makes no mistakes and the bad beat of this size could have never been offered on a manual table. Certain rules apply and are posted in the poker room.
Got a chance to play in the recent JOHN DALY INVITATIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT at PEARL RIVER RESORT’S DANCING RABBIT GOLF CLUB and it was hoot. While Big Jawn, the Dardanelles Destroyer, does many such events and is paid well for them, he is really affable, gregarious and available and he spent many hours meeting and greeting, signing every ball, book and piece of paper that came his way for the entire weekend. He also sat four hours in a rain soaked golf cart on a par five hole and as each foursome, there were 100 players in all, came through, he hit the drive for the team that was used as the best ball. He uncorked a 350 yard monster played into a 20-yard wide fairway for us. Minutes later, as I was setting up my second shot, another of his blasts landed ten feet from me. He is also an equal opportunity gamer. “I like ‘em all,” he said. All included blackjack, slots and craps. The PGA legend has a book out “My Life In & Out Of The Rough,” and it is entertaining reading. Twice, however, in the book, the author refers to him visiting “Tunica County on the Gulf Coast.” Director of Player Development, VICKIE SAVOY, Executive Host, RUDY LARSON, Golf Director, MARK POWELL, put together a great weekend. It wasn’t all play, however, as we did a live remote radio broadcast from the GOLDEN MOON and were delighted to have the new leader of the Mississippi Band of Choctaws, MIKO BEASLY DENSON, as our guest. While his pride in this Resort complex is obvious, he spoke with great concern for the Band’s 9,600 members and their welfare and programs for health, education and housing that he was working on. Only four months into the job, his programs are on track to provide more opportunities for Tribal members.
If you seek a savage experience, don’t miss THE JOE SAVAGE EXPERIENCE now playing at a Bally’s Casino near you. Namely every Friday and Saturday night in Tunica where wild man Joe tears it up. It’s hard to believe that this performer, whose bio states his act is a “theatrical extravaganza in Blitzkrieg Burlesque of Hallucinogenic Hieroglyphics,” was trained early on at Carnegie Hall. Joe does it all with a spectrum of music, dance and costume changes. Don’t know if he brought his snakes with him this time but keep your eyes open. Playing on Friday and Saturdays, three shows a night, through Dec. 31. Great show and great to see live entertainment back at Bally’s.
Do you think you look and sing like The King? Here’s your chance. PEARL RIVER RESORT’S DIR. OF MARKETING JASON YORK says the Resort is hosting a celebration of the King (Elvis) with a tribute contest and concert on Jan. 4 at 8 p.m., a repeat of the very well received event last year. First place is $5,000 so squeeze into a jump suit and enter. After the contest, tribute artist, BRANDON BENNETT, will perform in concert at the SILVER STAR CONVENTION CENTER. Visit www.pearlriverresort.com for more info.
Hat’s off to all the good folks at HOLLYWOOD CASINO who helped make the recent ST. JUDE/RED CARPET BASH fund raiser a success. While many employees pitched in to make the 7th annual event work smoothly, the key committee people included JEFF STRANG, MARY BETH FELTY, DON SALLY and COLLEEN ROBERTSON. The casino and its GM, JOHN OSBORNE, are major supporters of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital’s mission to find a cure for catastrophic childhood diseases.
The Las Vegas Gaming wire reports that the MGM GRAND MACAU
will open Dec 18 in China at a cost of $1.8 billion with a staff of 6,000 just adding to the fact that this enclave has topped the Las Vegas Strip as the world biggest gambling attraction in terms of casino revenue. But Tunica’s casinos still have the best comps.
LAISSEZ LE BON TEMPS ROULER
