Page 11 - Mississippi/Louisiana Gaming News - Fall, 2024

Jon Lucas (left) with MGHA Executive Directory Larry Gregory.
the nearly four months after Katrina struck to not just repair damage, but to expand, adding more slots, table games and a poker room, along with new restaurants and an updated look.
As work on the property was underway, the casino hotel housed recovery workers and mounted efforts to help those impacted by the historic weather event. A temporary human resources office was also set up in what had been a waiting area outside the casino’s movie theaters to hire casino workers.
As the region worked to recover, IP Casino provided employment opportunities for
locals by reopening its doors and resuming operations as soon as it was safe to do so, injecting much-needed economic activity
into the area. IP Casino demonstrated an impressive spirit of resilience and solidarity in the face of adversity.
Lucas served as IP’s general manager until 2011 and continued to make his mark, assembling a dedicated team that turned
IP Casino into a market leader. His focus on excellence, customer service and providing the highest quality in food, entertainment and amenities elevated the property.
Lucas, who came to Biloxi from northern Mississippi where he was the regional president at Caesars Entertainment, recounted his beginnings on the Gulf Coast. “I got there about six weeks before Hurricane Katrina and started to assemble a team (at IP). And the thing that I’ve learned in my career is that you’ll be successful if you surround yourself with great people, people that are smarter than you, that are more talented than you, that will help you to get to your end goal. And the good news is, I was able to do that.”
Lucas said the more than 2,000 IP employees were invited to come back to work after Katrina. “If they wanted to come back to
work, we put ’em to work. You wouldn’t be dealing cards, you won’t be serving drinks, but you’ll be emptying furniture out rooms, you’ll be scraping up carpet. And so many of them came back. And
the other thing that we did was build a kitchen in our garage and use up the food that was going to go bad anyway.
“And, we set up a cafeteria in our second floor and served anybody and everybody that wanted to come there,” he said. “We didn’t ask for an ID. We didn’t ask for anything. If you wanted to come and eat, we’d feed. We housed FEMA,
we housed FAA, we housed Trent Lott’s team, and so many more people. And gave back to the community...”
Lucas said the opportunity to lead the way and be a part of establishing a path forward on the Gulf Coast after Katrina
was an amazing experience. “I’ve said that living through Katrina was certainly, hopefully, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it was something that was life-changing and it’s an experience I’ll never forget. I don’t wish it on anybody, but the things that we were able
to accomplish and the help we gave to the community, I’ll never forget. So, I appreciate this award. I thank all of you for being here, and I thank all of you for the kind words, but again, it’s a team effort and I couldn’t have done it without the amazing team that I had at the IP.”
William Gresham Jr. and Thomas Gresham, Industry Regulatory/Government Official
William Gresham Jr. was the first chairman of the Mississippi Gaming Commission and one of the original three members. He served from 1993 through 2001. While serving as chairman, the Mississippi Gaming Commission played a pivotal role in steering the state’s gaming industry
fairness, excellence and consistency in all areas of his life. He passed away in 2010, leaving a legacy of accomplishment in Mississippi and beyond.
Thomas Gresham served as commissioner of the Mississippi Gaming Commission from 2015 through 2023. The younger Gresham served with great distinction, following the same standards set by his father before him. The Commission continued to build on the original foundation under his leadership by upholding the high standards originally put in place. With 16 years of combined service to the Mississippi Gaming Commission, the role he and his father played in ensuring gaming’s success here cannot be overstated.
Thomas Gresham modestly accepted
the Hall of Fame honor and talked about his father’s contributions. “It’s nice to slide under with your dad’s coattail,” Gresham said. “My dad is very deserving of this honor. He was one of the founding commissioners. They set some high standards for all of us, and I think that any commissioner that’s here would agree that the Mississippi Gaming Commission has held up to those standards those men gave us.
“My dad was a military man... and when he told you to do something, he expected you to do it,” Gresham said. “I enjoyed serving on the commission and I think having my dad as a military guy really gave me good training for serving. The gaming industry in the state of Mississippi has been so good to this state.
The jobs, the tax revenue that is brought in and the publicity that the state of Mississippi gets. I was here today at the Beau and I
visited with some people from Baton Rouge,
I met some people from Florida, I met some people from the Midwest, and they all were so complimentary of the casinos on the coast and
toward remarkable success. In its early years, the Commission implemented a comprehensive regulatory framework that balanced
the interests of stakeholders while prioritizing integrity and fairness.
Through meticulous oversight and stringent enforcement of gaming laws, the Commission ensured that the industry operated
Allen Godfrey (left), MGHA deputy director, displays an award for William Gresham, while Thomas Gresham shows off his own award.
how much they love coming down here.”
Gresham concluded, saying, “I think that our gaming commission team is probably the best in the country. And those guys made me look good.”
A portion of the proceeds from the evening’s event went to the
Bacot Foundation of
with transparency and
accountability, fostering trust among both investors and patrons.
Gresham set a personal standard of
South Mississippi, a charity dedicated to enhancing lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a focus on youth,
education, the arts and other worthy causes.
FALL 2024
MISSISSIPPI GAMING NEWS 11