Silver Slipper Temporarily Shuts Tables, Sportsbook For Marco, Laura Storms

Posted on: August 24, 2020, 10:01h. 

Last updated on: August 24, 2020, 11:24h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

In light of the two tropical storms presently in the Gulf of Mexico, the Silver Slipper Casino Hotel announced some temporary changes on Sunday.

Tropical Storms Close Silver Slipper Casino
With two tropical storms approaching from the Gulf of Mexico, officials at the Silver Slipper Casino and Resort announced Sunday that it would take some proactive safety measures. Those measures include closing table games, the sportsbook, and the buffet. (Image: Silver Slipper)

The Silver Slipper is located in Bay St. Louis, Miss., on the Gulf Coast. It’s located about an hour northeast of New Orleans.

According to the National Weather Service, Tropical Storm Marco is expected to make landfall in Louisiana on Monday. While the storm’s projected to be downgraded to a tropical depression by Monday night, the Bay St. Louis area still remains under tropical storm and storm surge warnings.

The Bay St. Louis area could see surges as large as 4 feet.

That warning means there’s a chance of life-threatening flooding coming from the coast over the next day and a half.

On the heels of Marco is Tropical Storm Laura, which is expected to hit land Wednesday. Its potential path has it making landfall in the same vicinity.

Table Games, Sportsbook Closed

On Sunday morning, the casino posted its changes on its Facebook page.

Table Games, Buffet, and Sports Book will close at 7 p.m. today and will remain closed through Wednesday,” the casino’s statement red. “The Pool and Pool Bar are closed until further notice as well.”

Later in the day, the Silver Slipper announced its daily slots tournaments were suspended effective Monday until Thursday.

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, it offered more than 800 slots and 24 table games. Currently, under the state’s restrictions because of the coronavirus, it has 527 slots available and all 24 table games, according to the latest report from the Mississippi Gaming Commission.

The Silver Slipper is the largest casino owned by Full House Resorts, as it accounted for about 44 percent of the company’s net revenue last year. After it reopened on May 21, two months after COVID-19 forced its closure, casino revenues increased by more than 12 percent, even though turnout was about 16 percent below normal.

First Cristobal, Now This

This week’s storms are not the first to impact the Silver Slipper since it reopened in May.

In June, emergency crews needed to rescue about 100 casino workers as Tropical Storm Cristobal hammered the region. The wind, rain, and flooding prevented the employees from leaving the casino and getting to the parking lot. In some areas, the water reached heights of 5 feet.

Local officials needed to use a high-water transport vehicle to shuttle workers to their cars. It took nearly five hours to shuttle all the workers safely.

The Silver Slipper opened 14 years ago as the first land-based casino on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, and was the first to open in the region after Hurricane Katrina decimated the area. Full House acquired the property eight years ago for $70 million.