Page 6 - Mississippi/Louisiana Gaming News - Fall, 2025

Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association
Official Newsmagazine of the Mississippi Gaming Industry
FALL 2025 Volume XXII Issue 3
STAFF
W. Michael Sunderman
Publisher michael@m2mediacorp.com
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David Grisham
Contributing Editor david@m2mediacorp.com
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Business Manager manager@m2mediacorp.com
Designers
Brian Treadaway
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Copyright, 2025
Mississippi Gaming News
(MGN) is owned and published by M2 Media Corp., 12268 Intraplex Parkway, Gulfport, MS 39503. MGN is produced in cooperation with the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association. The contents of MGN are copyrighted. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in part or whole without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
MGHA Executive Director Larry Gregory with the newest members of the Mississippi Gaming Hall of Fame: (from left) Duncan McKenzie, Hugh Keating and Mark Garriga, representing former Gov. Kirk Fordice.
Mississippi keeps track record
for success; Hall of Fame event
example of thriving industry
By Larry Gregory
I am amazed by the numbers generated by the U.S. gaming industry. U.S. commercial gaming revenue reached an annual record of $71.92 billion in 2024, according to the American Gaming Association. In 2024,
six of the top
20 commercial
gaming markets
reported
revenue growth
compared to
the previous
year, with the
Mississippi Gulf
Coast coming
in as the sixth
gaming market.
though. It’s about the many people who work in our industry and help it thrive.
Speaking of thriving, this was the seventh and most successful year yet
for the Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association’s (MGHA’s) annual Mississippi Gaming Hall of Fame Gala. The Mississippi Gaming Hall of Fame recognizes those
who have had a major impact on the Mississippi gaming industry. This year we honored Duncan McKenzie as the Industry Pioneer, Hugh Keating as the Industry Influencer, and Kirk Fordice as the Industry Regulator/Government Official.
These men exhibited extraordinary leadership, innovation, and commitment to our industry. We can thank them and all previous Hall of Fame inductees, who have paved the way for our industry to excel.
As far as another important MGHA event goes, I’m proud to say that we had a sold-out Mississippi Casino Cup Classic golf tournament on the morning of the Hall of Fame Gala.
Let’s continue to keep our industry strong and vibrant for many years to come.
Larry Gregory is the executive director of the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association. He can be reached at lgregory@msgaming.org.
In 2024,
Mississippi
stayed strong. We generated $2.43 billion in gross gaming revenue and $3.24 billion in total revenue, and had a total of 16,077 direct jobs with $797.4 million in wages and benefits. Tack on millions of visitors, and it’s clear that we have accomplished much in our state.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Mississippi has had a tremendous track record in gaming since the beginning. Success is not always about numbers,
6MISSISSIPPI GAMING NEWS
FALL 2025
Larry Gregory