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One of the longest-running Tunica casinos is set to close later this year.
Sam’s Town Hotel and Gaming Hall will permanently close at 10 p.m. Nov. 9, and the hotel will continue to operate until Nov. 2. A new casino will not open, and it is not being relocated to another part of the state or elsewhere.
In a statement to The Commercial Appeal, Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming Corp. — which operates Sam’s Town — said it regretted that the closure was necessary.
“This was not an easy decision for our company,” the statement read. “However, demand throughout the northwest Mississippi market has declined significantly over the past 20 years, with several of Tunica’s original casinos closing since 2014. Our decision to close Sam’s Town is a result of these market conditions, and follows our best efforts to adjust the business to address lower demand.”
Opening on May 25, 1994, Sam’s Town Tunica was the third casino from Boyd Gaming branded as a Sam’s Town and was the largest casino in Tunica of the eight that had opened so far. In 1996, a $40 million expansion that brought new convention facilities and 350 new hotel rooms brought its total to 860 rooms. In 2002, Sam’s Town absorbed the neighboring Isle of Capri’s hotel and entertainment center.
Today those rooms are about 700, with 700 slot machines of various types dotting the casino space.
The closure of Sam’s Town will leave just five casinos remaining in the area, once home to more than 10 casinos in the mid 1990s.
Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering DeSoto County, as well as Dining in the Memphis area. You can reach him at jacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com.
