GULFPORT, Miss.-
The Island View Casino has opened on the former site of the Grand Casino, marking the return of gambling to Gulfport, post-Katrina.
The casino’s owners, Rick Cartner and Terry Green, both Gulfport natives, started out in the business with an old cruise ship, the Copa Casino. They later replaced it with a gambling barge that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
After the storm, they bought out their bigger competitor from Harrah’s Entertainment, then secured a quarter-billion dollars in financing to develop the property.
The casino, which reopened Sept. 18, has a 24-hour, 350-seat buffet, 1,035 slots, 14 table games, and a 562-room hotel.
Next spring, the gambling floor will be more than doubled from 30,000 square feet to 80,000 square feet.
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