Harrah’s Still Aboard With Buffett

Construction on a Jimmy Buffett-themed development in Biloxi, Miss., came to a grinding halt last year, but an executive for Harrah’s Entertainment has confirmed the company has no plans for wasting away the unfinished Margaritaville Casino & Resort.

During a meeting of the Southern Gaming Summit May 6, Harrah’s central division president John Payne told the local WLOX news the beachfront development, which was originally set to open in 2010, is still an important project in the company’s eyes.

“Unfortunately, we’ve had to downsize the business, as many have in the Biloxi market to match the staffing levels to the volumes we now see,” Payne said. “There’s still a great opportunity to build a world class facility right there. The question is when do the markets open. When is the right time to do it?”

The $700 million resort was originally set to include a 420-room hotel and casino with convention space, a ballroom, an outdoor shopping village and restaurants. Payne said he couldn’t address whether cuts would be made to the project, which will need to secure new financing.

A new construction timeline has not been set.

It was the same story for other casino operators at the Gaming Summit, who said the economy has taken its toll on the region, the Sun Herald reported.

Isle of Capri head Virginia McDowell said expansion plans were put on hold around the same time as the Margaritaville project. Penn National Gaming’s Tim Wilmott said that while “customers are still coming” to the company’s Boomtown Biloxi and Hollywood Casino Bay destinations, “the spend per visit is down.”