Harrahs Tunica casino will be closing June 2 so Tunica will be down to 2 poker rooms.

Heard they are closing whole casino, any truth to this? If so WOW, a huge property like that will sit empty.

Yes the whole Casino is closing. Business has been way down. The local news said they had been trying to sell it for several years but no one wanted to buy it. One reason is people are going to the dogtrack in West Memphis alot more rather than take the long drive down to Tunica. The casino in West Memphis just announced another major expansion a few weeks ago they are investing millions of more dollars into it.

The dog track had very little to do with it closing, casinos opening in North Carolina, Florida, Oklahoma and other places eliminated the need for people to travel to gamble. When it was first built it was way overbuilt never needed 170,000 sq feet of gambling space and no parking garage didn't help.

So now what happens to the WSOP? Does horseshoe have a convention that could host it? I know they have remodeled the poker room at horseshoe but haven't been there since it has been done...any options there even?

The Horseshoe is planning on hosting the Wsop circuit with cash games in their room and the tourney at the Roadhouse next door. The Roadhouse has enough room on their 2nd floor which is not being used. That would actually be a shorter walk from the tourney area to cash games than it was at Harrahs.

Wrong. In the statement they said increased local competition was one of the main reasons they are closing. Why has the dogtrack just announced another multi million dollar expansion? It was way to overbuilt though.

Oh I remember how when casinos were first proposed in this area there was a big push to get them built in Memphis itself where the population center was but the big evil churches and religious nuts ran a huge campaign and prevented them being built in Memphis because they would increase crime they said. So memphis is of course crime free now lol.

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog...sino-expansion

They are doing mega business at the dogtrack cause they pay out better than Tunica and it's a shorter drive for many people in the Memphis
area. It has more to offer you can watch the horse races from all over and bet on them and etc.

"Our business keeps growing, so we want to continue the expansion and transformation of Southland Park into the unquestioned premiere destination in the Mid-South"

NO casinos in Tunica are growing and expanding. None.

I wouldn't go into that area of town without 2 guns on me. Not exactly a safe area and they don't even have real poker, just electronic games. Just a big slot haven and no hotel rooms.
.

People don't go there for poker, sadly. Poker players are a small minority of casino goers everywhere there is a casino. They are getting big business from the slot and regular casino players, which is why Tunica has been having trouble ever since the law was passed a few years ago allowing them to have casino type games and slots in AR. They have invested over 100 million into the place since then, and they wouldn't be doing that if their business was going down. It's safe enough to invest 100 million in, it's safe enough for their business to be growing and expanding, it's safe enough for the parking lot to be packed on a Wednesday night - when's the last time you saw that in Tunica? Oh I guess that's why the biggest casino in Tunica just closed.

Violent crime rate in 2012
West Memphis:
1,381.2
U.S. Average:
214.0

See how dangerous West Memphis, AR is compared to nearest cities:
(Note: Higher means more crime)
West Memphis:
1,209.4
Marion:
349.6
Memphis:
804.2
Horn Lake:
554.5
Southaven:
286.7
Earle:
321.4
Bartlett:
123.5
Millington:
358.2
Germantown:
94.

Tunica Annual Crimes
annual crimes per 1,000 residents
55.34


Like I said West Memphis ain't a safe area to go to.

Want to see what Harrah's themselves said bigTex21? It proves what I said was right, and what you said was wrong. Read it:

From Harrah's website: "Business levels in Tunica have declined persistently over the last few years and there have been significant increases in competition, particularly in West Memphis."


http://tunicablog.harrahsblogs.com?p=1225

So Harrahs agress with me, not you. You are wrong, I am right. Live with it.

Apparently it's safe enough for a 100 million dollar investment. It's safe enough to have a packed casino on a Wednesday night. It's not my fault you are afraid of your own shadow and scared to go out.

Comparing the crime rates of a rural area like Tunica to a city like Memphis and West Memphis is absurd and illogical. And Earle Arkansas? Less than 2500 people live in Earle, a very rural community, comparing the crime rate there to Memphis is crazy. You were wrong in the reasons that you stated Harrahs was closing. And you are wrong with your fear mongering crime nonsense too.

I'm sure Southland attracts many locals in that area but not sure how many people come from other states to travel there. Example does Southland offer comp airport transportation or hotel rooms for players? Face it it is a "locals" slot joint in a bad part of town.

Tunica is so safe, but yet their biggest casino is closing. Hmm? What did Harrahs's say? They said it was competition from West Memphis that had hurt them the most. It's common knowledge Southland pays out more than all the casinos in Tunica, plus people can bet on horse races they get a HUGE turnout on Kentucky Derby day, they can bet on dog races, play slots, craps, 21, etc. Plus they give away a car every single month to somebody. West Memphis is so unsafe that the casino is packed on a Wednesday night, and more than 100 million dollars has been invested into it and they are hiring new employees...hmm? If it is so unsafe why is it packed full of customers huh?

You must work there. And you didn't answer the question do they offer comp airport transportation, charter flights and hotel rooms for players? What is the video poker payouts for jacks or better?

No I work as an RN. Where do you work?

What did Harrah's say the reason they were closing was?

Here is what Harrahs said:

"Business levels in Tunica have declined persistently over the last few years and and there have been significant increases in competition, particularly in WEST MEMPHIS."

That's what Harrahs said.

Its so awesome Harrahs had a comp like that, what did it get them? Oh that's right they are closing and going out of business, that's what it got them.

It is funny you keep quoting a pr release but have not answered one question I have friends that are coming in from Texas and they play video poker, BJ and craps so can you tell me what the great video poker payouts are that draws people. And I guess they are on their own in getting transportation and rooms so why should they play there?

Where do you work? Answer my question I answered yours!

Harrahs said NOTHING about a few high roller friends of yours from Texas!

What did Harrahs say?

They said competition from West Memphis forced them to close! That's what Harahs said!

Why do you guys think you're arguing with each other?

FACT: Harrah's is closing at least in part because of competition from West Memphis's casino.

FACT: West Memphis is an incredibly dangerous ****hole.

You both win! Congrats.

Also, a recent study in the journal of sociology "Duh" found that poor people who live in dangerous ****holes like to gamble. So West Memphis's casino has a captive audience built in.

Not widely known but Southland also has a poker room (electronic of course ) . Pretty sure they run PLO everyday along with 1/2NL and daily low stakes tournaments.

They are investing quite a bit into the property.

As to what caused demise of Harrahs Tunica, IMO


1) Southland , yes

2) more regional casinos outside of
Memphis, that too

3) Ceasars balance sheet and other Corp issues, that too

Perfect storm of bad stuff.

PS, I would suspect that one that tries to win a debate with Bigtex regarding casino business issues in and around Tunica will probably lose

You are probably right about winning arguments concerning Tunica gaming and he failed to mention a major reason for the closing is that Penn Gaming tried to buy Harrahs but Gaming turned them down due to some irregularities at their horse tracks. This is rumored to have "pissed" Loveman off so he decided to get back at the state by closing it and depriving the state, county and city of needed tax money. That is just a rumor but since the employees had already been told the casino had been sold sounds like it may be true. By the way Dale Carden (member of the Poker Seniors Hall of Fame) just started working at Southland's poker room at night running the nightly tourneys.

No one remembers the "third license in Tunica for Harrah's brand" controversy. Ms. state officials granted the license anyway. Caesar's over-saturated the area's gaming market. It's just a monopoly game to Caesar's.

That way they don't have to be concerned about be infested with maggots.

I remember it they had to sell Harrahs (now Resorts) and Ballys inorder to get it approved. Area saturated with too many Ceasars properties.

I used to own a pawn shop in Ft Worth, Texas and now I am too old to take own the headaches of owning a business. Poker is still good here just will be located in 2 casinos. Right now there is 4 games at Hollywood, 9 at Harrahs and 19 at Horseshoe. I just hope the Horseshoe keeps giving good room rates and comps for the tourists or they will go elsewhere.

I probably speak for a lot of poker players in Western NC, Eastern Tenn. and upstate S. Carolina:

Before Harrahs Cherokee opened five years ago, I drove to Harrahs Tunica and/or Horseshoe Tunica 4-5 times a year to play poker. I would drive to Biloxi once a year to play.

I have gone to Tunica and Biloxi zero times since Cherokee opened. Also, you could not pay me to patronize ANY casino in Memphis or West Memphis. Too many gangs, too ******* dangerous.

Just having to drive through Memphis to get to Tunica was scary enough.