The December numbers won’t be in until mid-January, but the Biloxi casino industry has already shattered all annual gaming records, grossing more than $929 million in the 11 months of 2007.
The previous high for gross gaming revenue in a year was 2004, when Biloxi casinos reported a total gross gaming revenue of $911.4 million.
The new highwater mark – albeit for 11 months — was established last week, when the Biloxi market announced $80.3 million in gross gaming revenue for November.
“What this means,” Mayor A.J. Holloway said, “is that there continues to be a great deal of interest in Biloxi, and it also means that we are on the verge of reaching a new milestone, seeing this turn into a billion-dollar-a-year industry here in Biloxi.”
To see the month-by-month and year-by-year reports on the Biloxi market, click here.
To see a monthly and yearly report that shows how the money is divvied up among local and state governments, as compiled from State Tax Commission disbursements to the city, click here.
Mayor Holloway in words and video
White Christmas: Mayor A.J. Holloway has a holiday video message – sort of – for basketball fans who gather for the Gulf Coast Classic tournament Tuesday through Thursday nights at the Coast Coliseum. To see Holloway’s 45-second message, which will be played on the Coliseum’s video scoreboard and features Bing Crosby among others, click here.
Remembering Ruth Hunt: Mayor Holloway was one of those who delivered reflections on the life of longtime civic leader Ruth Hunt during a service this morning at First United Methodist Church in downtown Biloxi. To read the mayor’s remarks, click here.
News and notes
Planning agenda: The Biloxi Planning Commission will meet Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Municipal Building on MLK Boulevard in downtown Biloxi. To see the agenda for the meeting, click here.
Webcasting: Gene Coleman, editor of The Biloxi-D’Iberville Press, discusses the latest city events in the weekly “City Desk” webcast. To listen to the program, which was taped Thursday, click here.
