Tunica Mississippi Casinos Overview

Tunica was once considered one of the most popular gambling destinations in the US beating Atlantic City for second place. Unfortunately with hurricane Sandy taking a toll on the Casinos and Harrah's Casino Tunica closing in June 2014 it has lost a lot of it's traffic.

If you plan on visiting Tunica Mississippi keep in mind it is in the middle of no where! Nothing but open farmland as far as the eye can see. There is virtually nothing to do but gamble. There are no taxis, shuttles are no longer available, no car rentals if you fly directly to Tunica on charter flight which basically means that whatever Casino you are staying at is where you are marooned for the entire trip. If you plan on going best suggestion is not to take a charter flight and either drive or take a commercial flight to Memphis where you can rent a car and drive 45 minutes into Tunica.

That being said it was by far one of the most friendliest areas i have been to with true southern hospitality. Due to restrictions on getting around i am only able to review three Casinos in Tunica that happened to be right next door to each other - Horseshoe Casino, Roadhouse Casino and Gold Strike Casino literally steps apart.

Horseshoe Casino Tunica -  This was the my favorite overall casino offering the latest Video Slot releases, plenty of penny Slots to choose from including some of the old time favorites that have been removed and replaced in many other gambling destinations. There was a nice sized Video Poker section ranging from 5¢, 10¢, 25¢ and $1 machines offering a variety of Poker games, some with payout tables i have never seen before with 8,000 credits for Royal Flush and four aces with the kicker! Table game minimums are nice starting at $5.

The buffet was the best one during our stay offering several stations with the home style cooking station one of the favorites offering bread deep fried corn on the cob which i didn't try, a bit too many calories for me! Besides i had to save those calories for the dessert station which was pretty impressive. Jack Binion's Steakhouse a must for a more elegant dinner experience. For breakfast buffet available on weekends only with Jack Binion's Cafe and 8oz burgers serving breakfast daily.

The hotel was spotless and our room freshly painted was spacious with a couch, table and comfortable chair, There were three TV's, one in the bathroom, two in the bedroom on each end of the wall and free Wifi. It was a very quiet floor and think the rooms were pretty sound proof. The view of the parking garage was awful though i must admit!

The pool was a major disappointment. Located on the 2nd floor roof top it was nothing to talk about. A basic rectangle shaped pool with a step ladder to get in and no steps. Not recommended for older people or those who have problems with their knees. There were hardly any people at the pool and those that were complained on the level of difficulty to get in and out of pool. The cabanas were not worth renting because there were no luxuries other than a canopy over your head, wicker chairs and a coffee table.

Roadhouse Casino Tunica - This casino has a country and western theme with a combination of country and rock music playing throughout. It's a smaller casino that has a lot of charm. Slots here didn't have a lot of the newest Slot releases but a nice variety nonetheless. $5 minimum table game limits and a very nice Video Poker section in the back featuring coin denominations starting at a nickel.

There is only one restaurant - Roadhouse Diner open for breakfast lunch and dinner done up in a western theme complete with big den barrel table tops and cowboy boots as accents. The pool is a ditto carbon copy of Horseshoe Casino and not inviting whatsoever. I would rate this my second favorite simply for the charming appeal.

Gold Strike Casino Tunica - First impression are everything at this Casino. The outside structure of the hotel is beautifully designed with gold mirrored windows from top to bottom. Instead of a security guard greeting you as you walk into the casino floor there is a nicely dressed gentleman in a suit ready to greet players and extremely helpful in answering all questions we had.

If you are a table game player this is the place for you with the largest amount of tables offered. For Slots there were some i have never seen before like Superman Slot which i was dying to try but could never get an available seat. Nice variety all coin denomination slots. If you are a Video Poker player this is NOT the place for you! Fairly average size section but short on variety. The worst part was that most of the stand up Video Poker machines were old.......i mean old, buttons that kept sticking and screens that were washed out needing desperately to be replaced.

The buffet is nice for breakfast on weekends offering a Champagne brunch, however the for dinner the Horseshoe Casino beats them hands down!  The Atrium restaurant is casual dining but didn't have an inviting atmosphere and was rather blah so we past that up. The Chicago Steakhouse had an elegance for a more pricey dinner.

As far as the pool i was not able to see that but i have a gut feeling it is no better than the other two described.

Please feel free to share your experiences at these and other Casinos in Tunica.

Sounds like you had a fun time then.
That sucks that they don't offer any sort of shuttle.  Times must be tough down there if not trying to steal each others business with shuttles of any sort.  I know in Council Bluffs, you can go to any of the 3 casinos because all 3 casinos offer a "free" shuttle from one casino the next.
So if a smaller casino destination such as them can do it.  I'm surprised that Tunica doesn't.
I'm wondering if the pools aren't made to be the main attraction like in Vegas though.  Like you said maybe there whole goal is to only have you gamble more than actually try to relax by the pool side.  I'm surprised that Roadhouse didn't have any sort of buffet.  That almost seems to be standard in almost every casino I have been into.
Even the small CasinOhama north of Council Bluffs had one.  So it surprises me they didn't have one either.
I'm glad you enjoyed your trip, hopefully you'll decide to actually get a car rental or something in the future so you can visit more casinos.

Sounds like you had a good time.  When I was in Tunica some years ago, I remember that the Horseshoe buffet was wonderful.  So many foods to choose from and everything I tasted was delicious.  We sat there for a couple hours grazing. 

I also remember the "airport."  It was a big garage and they had card tables set up to check through the carry ons.  I was even wanded.  Made me laugh.

medtrans

The airport was really tiny and those card tables are still there. You have to step through the xray just like everywhere else now and it makes me sick to take my shoes off. So unsanitary with all those people passing through especially when you've got flip flops on.  Yuck!

          Great review Lips,  sounds like a fun trip.    Like I said earlier I 'm not real familiar with that part of the state.    That's really interesting about the lack of shuttle services though.    I'd still love to go there someday.    I don't know,  there's just  something exciting in my opinion about visiting a new destination even if most of the games are the same,  I just love seeing the new locale,  architecture, etc.  I hope they stick around a while 'cause  Tunica is on my bucket list.

Nice review Lips   Also, here's a link to the blog post Tunica Roadhouse Casino & Hotel Review

It's been a couple of years since we went to Tunica, so my info is probably outdated.
We have always stayed at the Hollywood and love it! It is clean and friendly and helpful. Everything is pretty convenient and accessible.
Clean and comfortable room and cozy bed!
The buffet is always great and there is a little deili on the casino floor for a quick bite. Pretty good prices there too for slider sandwiches and such.
Here also a couple more casinos within walking distance if your luck goes sour there. Resorts casino right next door. We like it too!
The Hollywood  pool looked really nice but I never quit slot playing long enough to take a dip!
We've been 3 times and enjoyed every minute of it. (Except the drive of course!)
Can't wsit to go back!!!!!

I wish we couldn't made it to the other casinos but we were stuck. It kept us pretty busy though

Ever wonder if anyone wins on those pricey $25 machines? At Sam's Town Tunica Bob M. of Arkansas bet $50 a spin when he saw reddd! Double red 7's appeared on the payline while playing Double Gold Slot.........phew how much did he put in though before he won the $125,000 Jackpot!

Bally's Casino Tunica Closes Temporarily



Due to potential flooding in Tunica Bally's Casino has closed their doors as a precautionary measure as the Mississippi River water rises although there has been no flooding reported at this time according to a Bally's rep.

The decision was made by the Mississippi Gaming Commission reporting it will not reopen until is is safe to do so.

Gold Strike Casino Dealer Vote Delayed

MGM Resorts International owner of Gold Strike Casino in Tunica broke a federal law for campaigning against union reps causing a delay in the union voting process.

There were aroound 300 workers to vote on whether or not the United Auto Workers would represent them.

The Gold Strike is reported to have about 1.300 in staff and has the most hotel rooms and slot machines among the eight Casinos in Tunica.

The UAW filed with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging casino managers unlawfully:

—  tip money from employees was used to conduct anti-union meetings.

— Threatened employees by saying there would be a pay cut if they voted for union representation.

— Questioned employees as to how they would vote.

— Told employees voting would require employee ID numbers therefore wouldn't be secret.

"The Gold Strike casino is using heavy-handed tactics in violation of federal law," UAW regional director Ray Curry said in a statement. "We're asking the National Labor Relations Board to investigate, and we're calling on MGM to respect its employees' rights the same way its casinos do in other markets around the country."

MGM denies claims:

"We are disappointed that employees will not be able to exercise their right to vote on Saturday in an election, which the National Labor Relations Board has cancelled as a result of the union's charge," MGM spokesman Gordon Absher said in a statement. "We will vigorously defend against this charge, which is without merit."

Harrah’s Tunica Sold to TJM Properties

TJM properties in Florida has acquired Harrah’s in Tunica, Mississippi. The Casino resort rests along the Mississippi River in the heart of one the popular gambling destinations in the US.

"Plans to sell all or part of the property are underway," according to Terence J. McCarthy of TJM Properties. 

The property features include: golf course, RV park, 800 acre hunting lodge, 45,000 sq ft convention center, 600 rooms and suites in two hotels, 10,000 sq ft kids’ center, hundreds of farm land acres and a commercial laundry facility.

Mr. McCarthy stated:

"We have a number of offers for all of the parcels of the property, and several parties expressed interest in purchasing the entire resort."

"We are finalizing our plans on what we may keep and what we will sell and will be reviewing all these offers in the coming weeks."

Golden Nugget Tunica Bringing Sexy Back!



Every Thursday through Labor Day get ready for some Adult Swim fun. This party is exclusive to the 21 or over crowd which will have a night club type feel.

The Pool party will feature Casino games, dancing, drinks and of course swimming. For guests at the hotel they get two free passes otherwise non-guests pay $10 per person.

Splash your way to the swim up bar, rent one of the luxurious cabanas, listen the beat the DJ plays while playing at one of the Blackjack tables and don’t forget to dance, dance, dance!