An MGM casino in Mississippi is sold. How will it affect the Beau Rivage in Biloxi?
MGM Resorts International is selling Gold Strike Casino in Tunica to Cherokee Nation Entertainment Gaming Holdings.
The subsidiary of Cherokee Nation Business will pay $450 million in cash for the Mississippi casino.
“Gold Strike is a wonderful property with a bright future ahead,” Bill Hornbuckle, CEO and president of MGM Resorts International, said in a press release. “Strategically, though, we decided to narrow our focus in Mississippi to a single resort — Beau Rivage — and dedicate more of our time and resources towards continuing to drive success at that leading, world-class resort and casino.”
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino is the largest and top-grossing casino in Biloxi and Mississippi.
Many casino executives worked at both Gold Strike and Beau Rivage casinos over the years, including Brandon Dardeau. He became president and chief operating officer of the two properties this year after working at both.
He is overseeing a multi-million dollar renovation of the more than 1,700 hotel rooms at Beau Rivage and other improvements throughout the property.
While he was senior vice president at Gold Strike, he opened one of the first BuffaloZone slot machine theme rooms outside of Vegas, which he’s now brought to the Beau Rivage.
“Buffalo games are extremely popular among our players,” Dardeau said.
The Cherokee Nation will pay taxes like the other commercial operators in Tunica, said Jay McDaniel, executive director of Mississippi Gaming Commission.
Gold Strike is 32 stories tall and is one of the most recognizable buildings in Tunica. It opened in 1994 and was acquired by MGM Resorts in 2005, the year that Hurricane Katrina struck Biloxi and seriously damaged the Beau Rivage.
The sale is expected to close in the first half of 2023, subject to regulatory approvals.
