Page 4 - Mississippi/Louisiana Gaming News - Winter, 2023

Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association
Current topics of interest for gaming industry addressed
Official Newsmagazine of the Mississippi Gaming Industry
WINTER 2023 Volume XX Issue 4
STAFF
W. Michael Sunderman
Publisher michael@m2mediacorp.com
Lori Beth Susman
General Manager / Executive Editor loribeth@m2mediacorp.com
Mary Sunderman
Associate Publisher mary@m2mediacorp.com
David Grisham
Contributing Editor david@m2mediacorp.com
Amy Chataginer
Business Manager manager@m2mediacorp.com
Designers
Brian Treadaway
READER SERVICES
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Copyright, 2023
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.
By Larry Gregory
As we are nearing the holidays, I would like to take this opportunity to not only share my thoughts on some topics of interest, but to also extend my thanks to all the operators in our state. In a competitive, profit driven and regulated market, they are always working to make Mississippi a great place to do business.
• We recognized Breast Cancer Awareness
Month in
October. Many of
our properties know that no matter who you are or where are you live, breast cancer can touch your life. Each October is a time of action both
for yourself and
others. Many
gaming industry associates embraced the awareness month this year and helped
in the fight against breast cancer. Those stories are featured in this issue. Take the time to scan the photos and recognize their efforts.
• Sad to say that we lost a giant in the passing of Gulfport leader George Schloegel in October. He was a humble man who made a difference. He worked his way up from the Hancock Bank basement all the way to the Chairman’s office. Known as a dedicated and loyal community servant, George was active in many organizations and worked to improve Gulfport and the entire Gulf Coast. He was also a friend to our gaming industry and provided leadership when we needed him. George was there on the ground after Hurricane Katrina and didn’t rest until our coast had recovered. This is where we saw that he had a servant’s heart. Schloegel become the mayor of Gulfport in 2013 and served one term.
• The first MGHA Casino Cup Golf Tournament, held at the end of October, took place in Tunica and turned out to be a great event. It offered a grand opportunity for our GMs to meet and greet each other while competing in a round of golf for the
coveted Casino Cup. Now the MGHA has two big events each year — the Hall of Fame in Biloxi and the Casino Cup in Tunica. Both present great opportunities to showcase our industry partners.
• September was Responsible Gaming Education Month as set by the American Gaming Association. The MGHA and its members proudly pledge to prioritize responsible gaming as an integral part
of our industry’s daily operations. Each property has trained on how to establish and maintain an effective Responsible Gaming Education program that gets
the seal of approval from the Mississippi Gaming Commission. We take this training seriously.
• Hard to believe that we are about to see 2023 out and welcome in the New Year. The opening of the new Mississippi Legislative Session is just around the corner. The 2024 regular session of the legislature will convene at noon on Jan.
2, 2024. We will continue to emphasize the importance of gaming in the Magnolia State to our elected officials to ensure our industry’s contributions are considered by lawmakers during this session. After all, we are driving tourism and providing tax revenue to the state, and we are making
it possible for thousands of people to have jobs.
• It is also hard to believe that it has been five years since sports betting came to Mississippi. A mobile sports betting task force has been established and is studying the pros and cons.
• I’m happy to say that Mississippi
still holds its own with gaming revenue. Throughout the years, we have been consistently in the top 10 gaming markets. We expect that trend to continue in 2024.
As you can see, it has been another great year for our industry. We have a lot to be thankful for and we want to continue to be successful. Please let us know if you have any suggestions on how to promote our industry better.
Looking forward to a great 2024!
Larry Gregory is the executive director of the Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association. He can be reached at lgregory@msgaming.org.
Larry Gregory
4MISSISSIPPI GAMING NEWS
WINTER 2023