TUNICA COUNTY, Miss. — Hundreds of Sam’s Town Casino workers in Tunica will soon be out of a job after the casino announced Thursday it will be permanently closing in November.
After 31 years, Sam’s Town announced it will be closing on November 9 at 10 p.m.
Its owners cited declining market conditions, leaving just five casinos in Tunica, Mississippi.
“They’ve had a good run and Boyd Gaming has been a great corporate citizen to Tunica and we’re sad to lose them,” said Webster Franklin, head of the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Franklin learned on Thursday that the casino would be closing on Casino Strip Resort Boulevard.
The closing puts 175 to 200 employees out of work.
“And we are very hopeful, gonna work with them and try to get them positions with other casinos in the area. We still have five properties here,” said Franklin. “We had to close our properties for a little over a month. When we reopened, we lost some market share, but then things didn’t come all the way back.”
Branda Wilson, a Horn Lake, Mississippi resident, said she started with the casinos when they opened in 1993.
“I’ve been in that situation before when Harrah’s closed. I was previously Grand, so when it closed, it affected me, so I know what the people are going through,” said Wilson.
Kristen McDonald runs McDonald Outdoor Advertising. Sam’s Town is a mile down the road, and used to be one of her biggest customers.
“At one point in time they had several billboards with us and they cancelled the billboards probably five years ago, I guess, and I guess that was the beginning of the end,” said McDonald.
“I’m surprised it hasn’t closed already, really, but it make me sad it’s closing for sure because I’ve got a lot of memories here been coming here since I was probably too young to be here,” said Brittney Reed, of Senatobia, Mississippi.
Franklin told WREG he doesn’t see any new casinos coming to the Tunica market because, unlike 30 years ago, gaming and the lottery can be found in just about every state.
He said several people expressed interest in the Old Grand/Harrah’s Property and hopefully something will take place there soon.