By Staff
Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Tunica, Mississippi, announced it will shut down operations on November 9th. The hotel will close on November 2nd.
“The decision to permanently close Sam’s Town Tunica was made after careful consideration of a variety of business factors. While this is not an easy decision, we are grateful for the many years of support from our loyal guests,” a statement reads on its website.
Tunica, once a booming destination for gamblers and poker players, has seen a severe decline in revenue as players from nearby states, such as Alabama, flock to more appealing destinations—like Florida.
During the “Moneymaker poker boom,” the Jack Binion World Poker Open, held at Gold Strike and Horseshoe casinos, emerged as the premier poker event in the country. Casinos like Sam’s Town benefited from the overflow of poker players flocking to Tunica. Famed media personality Nolan Dalla noted “Everyone in poker who was known at the time showed up, even though Tunica was noplace smack dab in the middle of nowhere.”
In January 2003, a rising young superstar in the poker world, Phil Ivey, finished runner-up to Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott in the WPT Championship at Horseshoe, further boosting poker’s popularity. The following year, FullTilt Poker launched with Ivey signed on as an ambassador, giving the site instant credibility.
While Tunica is no longer the popular poker destination it once was, it is still home to a WSOP Circuit Event held annually at Horseshoe Tunica.
Lead image courtesy of Boyd Gaming. Images of Doyle Brunson and Jack Binion at the 2000 Jack Binion World Poker Open, and Phil Ivey, courtesy of Nolan Dalla. Image of Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott courtesy of WSOP.
