Coast casinos reopen after Hurricane Ida

Casinos across the Coast closed on Saturday as Hurricane Ida approached.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission went by each casino to verify there were no damages and they were ready to open.

Eleven out of the 12 casinos are open. Silver Slipper in Hancock County is still closed and will open Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Out of all the casinos, Island View Casino in Gulfport was the only casino to remain open during Hurricane Ida.

Scarlet Pearl VP of Marketing Ben Koff tells News 25 once they realized how serious Hurricane Ida was projected to be they knew they had to close up. “When the time came to finally say ‘hey, we are going to close the casino,’ it happens very quickly. We already have the processes in place and in terms of the guests, it’s likewise notifying them, communicating on social media. I think the Scarlet Pearl, I think all of our fellow casinos, did a great job in notifying our employees and guests before they closed.”

Scarlet Pearl employees who were scheduled to work still received full payment. Those that worked in security, maintenance, and other areas during Hurricane Ida received bonuses.