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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
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The Mississippi gambling industry continued to see its revenues decline in August. File Photo

Casinos, which economists once thought were “recession proof,” are feeling the slump along with the majority of other businesses across the country. The state Tax Commission reports that Mississippi casino earnings numbers for June across the state totaled $189.7 million, down from $237.3 million in June 2008. That’s a drop of just over 20 percent.

Vegas and Atlantic City have been reporting drops in their numbers for over a year, reports CasinoGamblingWeb.

“The economy is now at the point where almost every person is being affected,” observer Paul Handel told Casino Gambling, “for a while Mississippi casinos held on, but now they are in the same boat as other casinos in the US.”

Previous Comments

If I could gather the thoughts of all the economists and $2 I could get an ice cream cone.

Ronni Mott, award-winning writer, talented artist and peace-loving yogi, whose beautiful soul left us on February 2. She was 64.