The Mississippi Gulf Coast is now the fifth-largest gaming market in the U.S., according to the American Gaming Association.
Records from the Mississippi Gaming Commission show that casinos in the state generated nearly $2.6 billion in revenue in 2022. More than $1.6 billion, roughly 62 percent, of the revenue was generated in casinos along the Gulf Coast.
Jay McDaniel, the commission’s executive director, said out-of-state tourism is a driving force for the money circulating throughout Mississippi’s gaming industry.
“The Coast market is greater than 50 percent out of state, from what we track,” McDaniel said on The Gallo Show. “The river is close to that. In the Tunica market, you get a lot from Tennessee and Arkansas. The southern river is more local, but statewide, it’s over 50 percent — and that’s what we want. We want visitors from out of state.”
Coastal Mississippi’s convenient location paired with popular events such as Cruisin’ the Coast are a catalyst for out of state visitors to spend their money gaming in the region’s casinos.
Additionally, Tunica was ranked the No. 19 gaming market in the U.S.
