Interesting Tunica Secrets
Visitors to Tunica, Mississippi, usually come for only one reason: to visit the casinos. Yet, there are certain secrets that are not commonly known about the casinos and the region. As the small area is largely surrounded by farmlands, many visitors often wonder why this area was selected for casinos. There was obviously a reason. Another question that is frequently asked is why every casino is surrounded by water. Yes, it is a common theme in all gambling cities, but every casino? Surely, there must be some reason behind the decision.
Who’s Driving This Boat?
One interesting fact that most people aren’t aware of is that the casinos in Tunica are all actually located on water. The legislation that permits casinos in Mississippi requires that the casinos are actually located on the Mississippi River. Since flooding and land erosion are considerable concerns in this area of the country, the casinos came up with a genius solution. Instead of building the casinos on the river, they moved the river to the casinos. Canals were dug to redirect some water from the river to the locations of the casinos.
Thus, each casino is actually surrounded by water from the Mississippi River and is technically considered a barge. Inside the casinos and hotels there is obviously no feeling of being on a boat as these properties are permanent locations securely rooted to the ground. What seems like only a decorating decision has actually been mandated by state legislation. On a visit to Tunica the action at the tables may prevent you from taking a trip to see the Mississippi River, but you can easily see just a small part of it surrounding each casino.
The Economic Situation
In addition to the barge aspect of gaming in Tunica, there exists another more serious issue that is largely unknown to the casual visitor to the casinos. For many years, Tunica County was one of the poorest areas in the country and it is for this reason that legislators decided to allow gambling. Before the inception of the casino hotels in the early 1990’s, the unemployment and infant mortality rates of the region were well into unacceptable territory. The expectation of the legislators was that the casinos would provide many new jobs and opportunities to people of the area. Thankfully, this expectation was correct and the area has benefited tremendously from the new industry.
Thousands of new jobs have been created, more than doubling the per capita income of each household. In addition, these jobs have led to a revitalization of the economy with local schools and hospitals receiving tax dollars from the revenue of casino hotels. Also, funds from the casinos have helped Tunica Country to construct a local museum and the RiverPark, which is a celebration of the Mississippi River. Of course, casinos are there to make money, but the positive aspect of what they have done for the region should not be ignored. As Tunica becomes a more and more popular gambling destination, it is only expected that these benefits will continue, making Tunica County a great place to visit and call home.