I went to the casinos for the first time in a while two days ago. I went to horseshoe

What struck me was how old and less crowded the entire place seems to be.

It looked like they were trying to put lipstick on it, but it all seemed run down.

Are people finally getting tired of losing their money or are they finding other ways to get their gambling fix like West Memphis?

(01-09-2016 11:18 AM)TIGERBANDIT Wrote:  I went to the casinos for the first time in a while two days ago. I went to horseshoe

What struck me was how old and less crowded the entire place seems to be.

It looked like they were trying to put lipstick on it, but it all seemed run down.

Are people finally getting tired of losing their money or are they finding other ways to get their gambling fix like West Memphis?

I went down there for the Gregg Allman concert a few days ago. I ate at the buffet because...why not? Not many people in there on a Sunday. The decor seemed dated. The food? Half of it was okay, half was overcooked and unattended, and there was no seafood to speak of besides shrimp. Pretty underwhelming experience. I was thinking of all the great meals I could have had in Memphis for $25. Plenty of $50 rooms at the Gold Strike. My cousin said he is really enjoying the West Memphis casino these days.

(01-09-2016 11:18 AM)TIGERBANDIT Wrote:  I went to the casinos for the first time in a while two days ago. I went to horseshoe

What struck me was how old and less crowded the entire place seems to be.

It looked like they were trying to put lipstick on it, but it all seemed run down.

Are people finally getting tired of losing their money or are they finding other ways to get their gambling fix like West Memphis?

Southland gets most of the Memphis gamblers.

When Tunica became a thing, there wasn't much casino gambling around the country. Now there are casinos everywhere. So Tunica doesn't get the gambling tourists anymore either.

So Tunica has too many casinos but not enough gamblers. Plus Horseshoe fell when Jack Binion left. From my understanding, many of his management team went to the Gold Strike. Horseshoe used to be the hottest Casino in town.

(01-10-2016 02:23 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  

(01-09-2016 11:18 AM)TIGERBANDIT Wrote:  I went to the casinos for the first time in a while two days ago. I went to horseshoe

What struck me was how old and less crowded the entire place seems to be.

It looked like they were trying to put lipstick on it, but it all seemed run down.

Are people finally getting tired of losing their money or are they finding other ways to get their gambling fix like West Memphis?

Southland gets most of the Memphis gamblers.

When Tunica became a thing, there wasn't much casino gambling around the country. Now there are casinos everywhere. So Tunica doesn't get the gambling tourists anymore either.

So Tunica has too many casinos but not enough gamblers. Plus Horseshoe fell when Jack Binion left. From my understanding, many of his management team went to the Gold Strike. Horseshoe used to be the hottest Casino in town.

I used to go Southland when I was in College, you can gamble on dogs in AR at age 18. Every time I go, it's bigger, busier, and nicer. They've really capitalized on Tunica's downfall.

Casinos are no longer national or even super-regional draws, except for Vegas. They're primarily local and sub-regional draws, so Tunica isn't getting traffic from Louisiana, Oklahoma, or even southern MS. And, within this sub-region, Southland just went through a renovation, and is closer. Hopefully Tunica has the vision to identify its next industry/-ies, to sustain its part of the regional economy. Because it's not "riverboat" gambling.

(01-10-2016 04:22 PM)supertiger Wrote:  

(01-10-2016 02:23 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  

(01-09-2016 11:18 AM)TIGERBANDIT Wrote:  I went to the casinos for the first time in a while two days ago. I went to horseshoe

What struck me was how old and less crowded the entire place seems to be.

It looked like they were trying to put lipstick on it, but it all seemed run down.

Are people finally getting tired of losing their money or are they finding other ways to get their gambling fix like West Memphis?

Southland gets most of the Memphis gamblers.

When Tunica became a thing, there wasn't much casino gambling around the country. Now there are casinos everywhere. So Tunica doesn't get the gambling tourists anymore either.

So Tunica has too many casinos but not enough gamblers. Plus Horseshoe fell when Jack Binion left. From my understanding, many of his management team went to the Gold Strike. Horseshoe used to be the hottest Casino in town.

I used to go Southland when I was in College, you can gamble on dogs in AR at age 18. Every time I go, it's bigger, busier, and nicer. They've really capitalized on Tunica's downfall.

That area and its traffic intersection seems to be a wasted opportunity, they've appealed to the lowest, laziest developmental common denominator for decades -- gas stations and truck stops. Southland's renovation, improvement of Mid-South CC, and plans for bike paths may be a sign of something better ahead.

Southland would finish off Tunica if they built a hotel tower and bought, bulldozed the crap around them and had the balls to push for full casino gaming along with Oaklawn instead of the electronic nonsense. The problem is that Oaklawn and Southland are very monopolistic and we oppose any statewide push for gaming.. I like how Kansas has done it in zones and limits the number of venues .

A Good model for Southland would be The Choctaw casino over in Durant OK.
Build this hotel tower on the 3rd turn to give views of the Memphis skyline as the western sunset on the back side. Add the "entertainment district" this place has with a movie theater and performance venue.



Tunica got creamed by 08, any project that would have helped it evolve got smashed and then got whammied by the 11 flood. It's only real hope to get better is a completed I-69 funneling traffic to it and what would really help is a Southen Gateway bridge that connected I-40 just west of West Memphis to the US 51/I-69(thus the I-269loop) area and create a southern bypass of Memphis. It might see some help if they can get the expanding river cruise folks to dock there.

Back to Arkansas. There's like five good sized casinos along the border in Oklahoma from Ft. Smith up to the Joplin area. That is just letting that money leave. Like I said there needs to be legalized casino gambling with zones. One Casino for the NW corner, one for North Central say the area just below Branson, and Texarkanaarea. Hot Springs could expand gaming by allowing it in historical buildings where they meet restoration guidlines. Think the Arlington and Majestic with gaming parlors and allow Oaklawn a fall meet with a full casino including a sports book.

(01-10-2016 05:14 PM)kabluey Wrote:  

(01-10-2016 04:22 PM)supertiger Wrote:  

(01-10-2016 02:23 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  

(01-09-2016 11:18 AM)TIGERBANDIT Wrote:  I went to the casinos for the first time in a while two days ago. I went to horseshoe

What struck me was how old and less crowded the entire place seems to be.

It looked like they were trying to put lipstick on it, but it all seemed run down.

Are people finally getting tired of losing their money or are they finding other ways to get their gambling fix like West Memphis?

Southland gets most of the Memphis gamblers.

When Tunica became a thing, there wasn't much casino gambling around the country. Now there are casinos everywhere. So Tunica doesn't get the gambling tourists anymore either.

So Tunica has too many casinos but not enough gamblers. Plus Horseshoe fell when Jack Binion left. From my understanding, many of his management team went to the Gold Strike. Horseshoe used to be the hottest Casino in town.

I used to go Southland when I was in College, you can gamble on dogs in AR at age 18. Every time I go, it's bigger, busier, and nicer. They've really capitalized on Tunica's downfall.

That area and its traffic intersection seems to be a wasted opportunity, they've appealed to the lowest, laziest developmental common denominator for decades -- gas stations and truck stops. Southland's renovation, improvement of Mid-South CC, and plans for bike paths may be a sign of something better ahead.

If there was ever an ideal location for an outlet mall, Six Flags like theme park and so on it was the land that sits where the trucks stops are where 40 and 55 split to cross the river, instead it's a craptastic selection of truck stops, some fast food and truck repair shops.

West Memphis is a comedy of errors dating back to when the owner of the Nascar track would not pave it and they stopped racing there. There's even the old story that Southwest wanted to use the airport there because if the Wright Amendment rules and it's proximity to Memphis back in the 80's. Little Rock killed it so the story goes.

Southland needs to buy up the crap on that side of the interstate interchange and demolish it outside of the Ford Dealership. Lose the truck yard to it's rear, move the kennels across the road to the east build a tunnel to connect to the track and build hotel tower like the one I posted. Build a venue like the one at the Hard Rock in Tulsa and finish off Tunica.

(01-10-2016 04:22 PM)supertiger Wrote:  

(01-10-2016 02:23 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  

(01-09-2016 11:18 AM)TIGERBANDIT Wrote:  I went to the casinos for the first time in a while two days ago. I went to horseshoe

What struck me was how old and less crowded the entire place seems to be.

It looked like they were trying to put lipstick on it, but it all seemed run down.

Are people finally getting tired of losing their money or are they finding other ways to get their gambling fix like West Memphis?

Southland gets most of the Memphis gamblers.

When Tunica became a thing, there wasn't much casino gambling around the country. Now there are casinos everywhere. So Tunica doesn't get the gambling tourists anymore either.

So Tunica has too many casinos but not enough gamblers. Plus Horseshoe fell when Jack Binion left. From my understanding, many of his management team went to the Gold Strike. Horseshoe used to be the hottest Casino in town.

I used to go Southland when I was in College, you can gamble on dogs in AR at age 18. Every time I go, it's bigger, busier, and nicer. They've really capitalized on Tunica's downfall.

Its more like they caused it.

Which is fair play because Tunica caused the dog track to falter which led to the state allowing Southland (and the Hot Springs horsetrack) to get slot machines.

Biloxi has several casinos rebuilt from Katrina

And gets all the New Orleans traffic

(01-11-2016 07:01 AM)Unionman76 Wrote:  Biloxi has several casinos rebuilt from Katrina

And gets all the New Orleans traffic

There was a time many in NWA went to Tunica but the Indians put a stop to that with equal or better facilities. That's not to say that there's not room for two to three good sized casinos in the Memphis area. Tulsa has former Cherokee/ Hard Rock and another tribe is doing a nearly 400 million dollar conversion of their Casino on the Arkansas to a Margaritaville branded casino. These are big casinos outside of Vegas. The half dozen that line the Arkansas/Ok border are nice considering their location.

Choctaw outside of Ft. Smith


Eventual build out


Cherokee Casino outside of Ft. Smith


Cherokee in West Siloam Springs


Indigo Sky


Downstream Casino


All those had an effect on Tunica, every one of those are less than ten years old.

The Quapaw has bought land in Little Rock, waiting to see what happens one day there. They claim it's ancestral. Downstream belongs to them.

I have been going to Southland for a while now and skipping Tunica. Why?

1. Southland is much closer.
2. Slots are about the same at both. Once, Tunica had better slots, but now they are equal.
3. More payouts in W. Mempho. I have won bigger jackpots at Tunica in the past, but none recently. I will take $50 or $100 wins at Southland versus constant losing at Tunica. You see very few winners when walking the casino floors in Tunica these days.
4. I just get the feeling that Tunica is a sinking ship and needs to pull in all my cash to try to stay afloat.

Winstar Casino in Oklahoma about 80 miles north of Fort Worth is huge and usually packed on the weekends. They have become real good at getting good concerts to come to their new 4,000 seat arena and are actually putting a hurt on Dallas with their exclusive contracts. For example Lionel Richie was there but did not perform in the Dallas area where there were much larger venues.

Haven't been to Tunica in about 6 years.

(01-11-2016 02:00 PM)Tiger46 Wrote:  Winstar Casino in Oklahoma about 80 miles north of Fort Worth is huge and usually packed on the weekends. They have become real good at getting good concerts to come to their new 4,000 seat arena and are actually putting a hurt on Dallas with their exclusive contracts. For example Lionel Richie was there but did not perform in the Dallas area where there were much larger venues.

Haven't been to Tunica in about 6 years.

This is where I go. But its a haul, so I don't go as often as I used to go to Tunica. Also, they don't poker-rate rooms. I used to get a good rate at Tunica for playing poker.

Also, Winstar is the largest casino in the U.S.
Didja know?

(01-11-2016 02:00 PM)Tiger46 Wrote:  Winstar Casino in Oklahoma about 80 miles north of Fort Worth is huge and usually packed on the weekends. They have become real good at getting good concerts to come to their new 4,000 seat arena and are actually putting a hurt on Dallas with their exclusive contracts. For example Lionel Richie was there but did not perform in the Dallas area where there were much larger venues.

Haven't been to Tunica in about 6 years.

The best venue at at any OK casino for a concert although a shade under 3,000 capacity is The Joint at the Tulsa Hard Rock. The new Margaritaville across town is supposed to have a nice theater type venue.

(01-12-2016 08:18 PM)Pastnerized Wrote:  

(01-11-2016 02:00 PM)Tiger46 Wrote:  Winstar Casino in Oklahoma about 80 miles north of Fort Worth is huge and usually packed on the weekends. They have become real good at getting good concerts to come to their new 4,000 seat arena and are actually putting a hurt on Dallas with their exclusive contracts. For example Lionel Richie was there but did not perform in the Dallas area where there were much larger venues.

Haven't been to Tunica in about 6 years.

This is where I go. But its a haul, so I don't go as often as I used to go to Tunica. Also, they don't poker-rate rooms. I used to get a good rate at Tunica for playing poker.

Also, Winstar is the largest casino in the U.S.
Didja know?

Yes I did. We go there a lot, gets comps for rooms and play. Not a bad drive from our house at all

ok. how do you go there from Colleyville?
From keller, I hit 35 and point north.
But, takes over an hour, as I have to drive 25 mins from my place to 35

Biloxi actually has a few new casinos and they'd poured money into that area. Atlantic City and Tunica are relics of what is becoming a bygone era.

(01-16-2016 12:25 PM)Pastnerized Wrote:  ok. how do you go there from Colleyville?
From keller, I hit 35 and point north.
But, takes over an hour, as I have to drive 25 mins from my place to 35

I probably take the same route as you, we drive west on 1709 (Southlake Blvd) to I-35 and head north. It is a little over an hour.

Did TIGERBANDIT go on a gnawing rampage last night or something?