Page 10 - Mississippi/Louisiana Gaming News - Fall, 2026

Mississippi Gaming Hall of Fame 2026
Four inducted into MS Gaming Hall of Fame
By Lori Beth Susman
GULF COAST — The Mississippi Gaming
& Hospitality Association (MGHA) honored
four leaders of Mississippi’s gaming industry
at its eighth annual Hall of Fame Dinner Gala
in June. Joe Billhimer, Karen Sock, John
Ferrucci and Allen Godfrey were inducted
into the 2026 Mississippi Gaming Hall of
Fame for their significant contributions to
the industry’s foundation.
Billhimer was recognized as an Industry
Pioneer, Ferrucci as an Industry Influencer,
and Godfrey was inducted as an Industry
Regulatory/Government Official. Sock,
who passed away in April, was honored
posthumously as an Industry Pioneer.
Industry executives, employees, suppliers,
family members and friends gathered at
Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast to recognize
the contributions of these individuals at the
Celebration of Gaming Hall of Fame Dinner
Gala.
Larry Gregory, MGHA executive director,
welcomed attendees at the opening of the
event. “This is our 8th year and
each year just keeps getting
better. We are showing off
the best of the best with
these amazing honorees. This
event could not be possible
without the strong support
of our members and our
dozens of sponsors, including
our presenting sponsors,
The Cordish Companies and
Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort.”
Gregory also acknowledged
Barry Regula, general manager of
Hollywood Gulf Coast, who said the
evening has a personal connection for him.
“Without these individuals,” Regula said
of the honorees, “I probably wouldn’t be
here tonight. Joe Billhimer recruited me to
this very property in the late 1990s, back
when it was Casino Magic. That opportunity
changed the trajectory of my career. And
then there’s John Ferrucci, who had a
lasting impact on me and everyone else he
came in contact with. John helped to polish
me up and prepare me to advance my
career into general management.”
Regula continued, “But the truth is, none
of us would be here tonight if it weren’t for
Marlin Torguson, who was inducted into
the Hall of Fame in 2021 for bringing the
first barge-based gaming concept in the
world right here to this location back in
The 2026 Mississippi Gaming Hall of
Fame Class
Joe Billhimer, Industry Pioneer
Joe Billhimer demonstrated extraordinary
leadership in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
by first prioritizing the safety and support
of his team members and their families,
then spearheading the complex multi-year
rebuild of Hard Rock Biloxi. The triumphant
reopening of the Biloxi property, with its
10 M I S S I S S I P P I G A M I N G N E W S 1992. Everyone
here knows this is
Marlin’s house.”
Bay St. Louis
Mayor Michael
Favre also spoke
at the event, giving
special recognition
to Torguson, a
gaming industry
entrepreneur
credited with
changing the
trajectory of
Hancock County
when he opened
Casino Magic Bay
St. Louis in 1993.
The gaming industry, Favre said, brought
new jobs and businesses to the community
along with unbelievable economic
development that has continued through
the years.
“Casino Magic became one of the earliest
and most significant developments on the
Mississippi Gulf Coast.
What was once an idea
became a foundation of
growth. It helped introduce
the new industry to our
region, and showed that
Bay St. Louis could be
a serious destination,
not only for gaming, but
tourism and hospitality, as
well,” Favre said, adding,
“Tonight, we honor those
being inducted into the
Mississippi Gaming Hall of Fame. We are
not only celebrating individual achievements,
but are celebrating an industry that has
helped transform the Mississippi Gulf Coast
and the state of Mississippi. I thank you
for being here. I thank you for investing in
Mississippi. I thank you for continuing to
believe in the future of Hancock County and
the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”
F A L L 2 0 2 6
Joe Billhimer (center) was inducted into the Mississippi Gaming
Hall of Fame. Pictured with his wife Terri and their children,
Billhimer was recognized as an Industry Pioneer.
Barry
Regula
iconic guitar, became a powerful symbol of
resilience for the region’s gaming industry
and coastal community, restoring jobs and
economic vitality. His efforts led him to be
named Casino Journal’s “Executive of the
Year.”
“I was so fortunate to work under and
around some exceptional leaders across
this industry and in this community who
believed in me early, gave me opportunities,
and helped shape the foundation I’ve
carried with me throughout my career,”
said Billhimer, currently chief operating and
development officer for Cordish Gaming.
Billhimer recalled that he was part of the
Casino Magic Bay St. Louis opening team in
1992. “I’ve had the privilege of seeing the
Gulf Coast, as well as the state, grow into
what we all know it to be today — a premier
gaming destination in the United States,
and through that growth and character, this
market has really never changed, it’s really
stayed the same, and everyone here should
be proud of that.”
In remembering Hurricane Katrina, the
event that changed everything, Billhimer
said, “What stood out to me, was not what
was lost, but how people responded. People
took care of each other, and this community
came together in a way that I will never
forget. When I look back on my career, what
I’m most proud of is not any one project, it
is the success of those I had the chance to
work with along the way. The opportunities
that I’ve had came from the support and
relationships around me more than anything
else.
“And while this recognition means a great
deal to me, nothing has meant more in
my life than my family that Terri and I built