Apparently the casinos in and around Tunica will be closing from May 3rd 2011 until approximately May 22nd 2011 due to the rising flood waters from the Mississippi. This picture shows the Gold Strike Casino with their parking lot under water and the casino itself flooded. Lots of damage to the floors and the machines. Not only that if your car was in the parking garage it was going to have to stay there until the waters receded.
We had reservations at the Gold Strike Casino in Tunica for May 5 and 6th. We received an email advising us that this casino along with all others in the area were closing. This is due to the expected rising flood waters cresting as much as 60 feet above normal. This is an unprecedented flood level! We are glad that they warned us that the casino was closed. We would not want to be there when the waters were coming into the casino! Who would not like being stuck in our rooms with nothing to do.
We wish all of the employees and the residents in the area good luck. They need to take special care that they and their families are safe during this difficult time. We have watched the weather over the past week. Although the rain has stopped, the swollen river will not crest in this area for another few days.
Tunica Casinos closed
Several articles have that we have read indicate that employees will continue to be paid during this time while the casinos are closed. Hopefully all of the casinos will do this, so that employees can meet their financial obligations. This will also ensure employee loyalty and return to their jobs when the casinos reopen. The entire area appears to be depressed from an economic perspective and they really need the money they do not need to be losing their jobs or dealing with floods like this.
We will be back to Tunica, perhaps in the fall when hopefully all repairs have been made and everyone has recovered from the Mississippi river floods.
Note that the Tunica Casinos reopened a few weeks after we wrote this post. There was little damage to the casinos and what there was, was quickly cleaned up by the staff. One of the things we really liked about this set of casinos is that they continued to pay all of their staff while they were closed to make sure they had jobs to come back to and did not go looking for new jobs.
While we could not confirm this story, we did hear it from a reliable source and felt that this was a really nice gesture on the part of the casino owners. This was in one of the online papers that we keep an eye on when we are in the area. Reading online news is a great way to stay in touch with the world as well as local news. Most of the casinos will have WiFi available for their customers.
All casinos were reopened shortly after the waters receded and the clean up was completed.
The location of the Gold Strike is great because there are three casinos within walking distance. There is the Gold Strike, the Horseshoe and the Roadhouse. The last two are owned and operated by Harrahs Casinos. You can go back and forth between them if you need a change of action or you find that the machines are not paying very well at one or the other. They both honor the Harrahs slot card and you can order your drinks right from the slot machine. This is a huge advantage for Harrahs and a service for their customers. You do not have to wait for a server to randomly come by your slot machine now. Just order it on the screen and it will arrive usually within 5 minutes.
The Hollywood casino offers a 14,000-square-foot ballroom just off the main casino. Consequently it seats up to 1,200 guests. In addition it includes a catering service. Hollywood Casino offers a variety of meeting packages. Luxury accommodations and action-packed entertainment are provided In addition these packages offer special bonuses that are perfect for social organizations, corporations and charitable groups of 20 or more.
need a car to get to this casino from any of the other casinos or take one of the shuttle buses that run. The hotels are spread out and do not facilitate walking from one to another. The picture on the left was taken on a cloudy day in the winter. Normally the hotel and casino look much brighter and the grass would be green, making it a much more picturesque looking place. Fitzgeralds Casino is shown on the picture on the left.
river this is one of the hotels you should consider for a visit while gambling in Tunica. Although we have not personally seen these rooms they look great and will more than meet any ones expectations and requirements. Newly renovated rooms are always great and when you check in ask for a non smoking room. Of course if you smoke in the room you could be subject to a hefty bill to clean the room properly.
a great place to relax and enjoy while taking a break from the casino slot machines or the tables. Overall this casino has everything that one needs while taking a short vacation in Tunica.
which was in great need of cleaning and updating. The roadhouse concept is reminiscent of a Texas roadhouse with lots of barn board and decorations that are reminiscent of many roadhouses across the United States.