Margaritaville Casino & Restaurant has announced that it will be closing on or before Sept 19, but will pay its employees until that time. The casino attributed the closing to its inability to resolve a dispute with its landlords necessary to secure financing for a new hotel and other amenities.
Margaritaville made the announcement to its employees this morning.
“Our hearts certainly go out to Margaritaville employees and their families,” said Biloxi Chief Administrative Officer David Nichols, “and we’re hopeful that the state’s rapid response dislocated worker unit will be able to help these workers find new employment.
“Developments like this are not uncommon in the Mississippi gaming industry. We operate in a free-market system, and a number of factors come into play, including location, amenities, marketing, management and so forth. In the 20-plus years since gaming opened in Biloxi, we’ve seen a number of casinos come and go – Lady Luck, Gold Shore, Casino Magic, the President and the Biloxi Belle, to name a few – but the Biloxi casino market remains strong.”
Read the Margaritaville statement