Mississippi's casino areas are divided into three distinct regions, plus one Native American casino in the center of the state. The most vital area-in fact, the nation's third largest gaming jurisdiction after Las Vegas and Atlantic City-is Tunica, located in the northwestern corner of the state, barely 30 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.

The second key region is the Gulf Coast, its white sand beaches and seafood joints offering the traditional tourist draws in towns such as Biloxi and Gulfport. This is one of the most historic parts of the state, famous as much for Beauvoir, the retirement home of one-time Confederate President Jefferson Davis, as for Hurricane Camille, which decimated the area in August, 1969.

The third region is made up of riverboat casinos widely scattered along the northern and southern stretches of the Mississippi River that forms the state's western border. These casinos are more local in nature, lacking the extensive facilities available in Tunica and on the Gulf Coast.

Last but far from least is the state's single land-based resort, the Silver Star, owned by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and located about 90 miles northeast of Jackson in rural Neshoba County.

With nearly three dozen casinos scattered from the northwestern farmlands to the southernmost coast, players have a tremendous variety of casinos from which to choose. But one name that has remained consistently at the forefront throughout Mississippi's gaming history, in fact the name that has come to most closely symbolize Southern gaming, is Grand Casinos.

Grand History

Grand Casinos' roots stretch north to Minnesota, where founder Lyle Berman, well known in poker circles as one of the top players in the country, started the company as a management group to operate Native American casinos. Four of those casinos still bear the Grand name: Grand Casino Hinckley and Mille Lacs in Minnesota, and Grand Casino Avoyelles and Coushatta in Louisiana. But with the exception of the Coushatta property, which is managed by Berman's Lakes Gaming Inc., the only thing they share with the Mississippi casinos is history.

Native American gaming notwithstanding, it was the Mississippi casinos that really put Grand Casinos on the map. The first property to open was Grand Casino Gulfport, on the Gulf Coast in May, 1993. That property was followed by Grand Casino Biloxi in January, 1994, and finally Grand Casino Tunica in June, 1996, firmly establishing Grand's stronghold on Mississippi-particularly along the Gulf Coast.

	The stunning Oasis Hotel, located across the street from Grand Gulfport, features casual elegance and comfort

In late 1998, the three Mississippi Grands were acquired by Park Place Entertainment, formerly the gaming division of Hilton Hotels Corp., and now one of the largest gaming operators in the country. Berman left the company, but his second-in-command, Tom Brosig, stayed on as president of Park Place's Mid-South region. It's much to Brosig's credit that the properties have remained as dynamic and innovative as they were in the early days. In fact, with Park Place's considerable financial clout behind them, the three properties have since undergone several major expansions, incorporating additional casino floor space, new hotels and a wide variety of upscale amenities, from high-end spas to upgraded restaurants.

Expanding the Grands has made excellent business sense for Park Place Entertainment. When gaming started up on the Gulf Coast, the two Grands were clearly the dominant casinos. Only with the opening of what was then Mirage Resorts' Beau Rivage in 1999 did the Grands begin to feel the squeeze of competition-a gentle squeeze, as it turns out, since the properties are arguably stronger than they ever have been, and Beau Rivage has been plagued by its own set of problems.

Up north, the sprawling Grand Casino Tunica is clearly the top dog in the market, although it faces stiff competition from properties such as the Horseshoe, which it battles for control of the high roller market. Grand's clear advantage is its 2,200 acres of land in Tunica, which gives it tremendous flexibility in creating new hotels and attractions, plus the sheer size of the massive casino.

All three of the Grands share certain common characteristics. Their gaming layouts are similar, each has an L.B.'s Steakhouse, each caters to a higher end of the gaming market, and each has the competitive (but unlinked) Grand Advantage Slot Club. That said, it's their differences that really make them special. Players who travel to Mississippi should plan on visiting all three, and compare them based on their own individual criteria.

Grand Casinos’ signature L.B.’s Steakhouse in Gulfport is both the largest and the most laid back

Grand Gulfport

The oldest of the Grands may very well be the best of the Grands. The Mardi Gras-themed Gulfport property made headlines when it opened, but was eclipsed by the larger and ostensibly more upscale Biloxi property a year later. Yet with the passage of time, Grand Gulfport has emerged as a better-integrated, more casual and somewhat less crowded casino resort. And the recent addition of the Oasis Spa and Resort across the street may well have tipped the scales in favor of Gulfport.

Grand Gulfport is located at the geographic midpoint of the Mississippi coast, overlooking a harbor of sailing ships and shrimp boats that evokes Forrest Gump imagery. This is a historic fishing village, still one of the central points of Gulf Coast shipping, and particularly known for its local seafood and popular aquarium.

Access to Gulfport, and the rest of the Coast, is relatively simple. By car or bus, the casinos are located almost midway between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama. All major airlines service New Orleans International Airport, which is just over an hour away, but driving can get nasty during rush hour. A better option is to check out flights into Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport, which has regularly scheduled major service from Continental, Delta, AirTran and Northwest. The airport is less than ten minutes from the Gulfport property, making access simple.

Grand Gulfport is a remarkably diverse property. The casino is about 105,000 square feet, with some 80 table games and 2,500 slot machines, built on three levels and connected by elevators and escalators. The design theme is bold and vibrant, with colorful neon sculptures and Mardi Gras floats creating a party atmosphere that never gets dull.

The slot mix here is top notch. Both of the Gulf Coast Grands focus heavily on new slots, but Gulfport seems to have the edge for the newest machines, at least in terms of quantity (not to mention the hysterically confusing "South Park" machines, which don't seem to be anywhere else).

Check out the terrific room of Williams, IGT and Aristocrat video slots on the second floor, where the skywalk from the Oasis Hotel spills into the actual casino facility. This is the heart of an area that incorporates a great sports bar, table game pit and the New Orleans Bistro, a sort of stand-alone gaming area that feels like an independent boutique casino, just before the entrance to the main casino.

The original Grand Gulfport Hotel is adjacent to the casino and right on the beach, with stunning views of the Gulf from the rooms facing west. The 300 rooms in this tower reflect the multicolored vibrancy of the casino, and have the added advantage of proximity to the gaming area. However, they simply can't compete with the 600-room Oasis Hotel, located across the street but connected by an enclosed skyway that crosses Beach Blvd. This hotel, modeled after the equally impressive Terrace and Veranda Hotels at the Tunica property, is simply stunning, from its sweeping, couch-filled lobby to the casually elegant decor in the rooms. Top that off with the Java Grande coffee and sandwich bar and the Oasis Lobby Bar, and you've got one of the most comfortable places to stay on the Coast.

All three Grand Casinos house a 16,000 square foot Bellissimo Spa & Salon, each offering more or less the same list of services and treatments. In Gulfport, the spa is located just beyond the elevators on the ground floor of the Oasis; in Biloxi, it's on the third floor of the Bayview Hotel; and in Tunica, it's on the ground floor of the Terrace Hotel. Between the three, the two spas on the Coast are a bit more sophisticated than the one in Tunica, with the Gulfport property just about topping Biloxi in terms of sheer comfort and appeal.

Sun worshippers will also want to head to the Oasis to bask in the Oasis Pool, the finest watery attraction on the Coast, and more reminiscent of Vegas than Mississippi. Palm trees, waterfalls and flowered paths surround an Olympic-sized pool, with additional Jacuzzis, a Cabana bar and a meandering "lazy river" that circles the whole area.

Grand Gulfport has the usual assembly of casino restaurants, with its Marketplace Buffet, Magnolia's Coffee Shop, and the themed Nifty Fifty's burger-and-malt joint-but the remaining three restaurants are standouts. The newest of the trio is Murano's Italian Seafood Company, located in the main lobby of the original hotel. Murano's specializes in much more than seafood-veal, pastas and chicken are all on the menu, with a variety of good presentations. The open air "courtyard" style of the restaurant is unique to the area and very comfortable.

The New Orleans Bistro is a fantastic restaurant specializing in Cajun, Creole and seafood entrees, as well as po'boys and pan roasts. A large central seafood bar dominates the restaurant, with windows on all sides affording beautiful views of the Coast.

Best of all is Grand Casinos' signature L.B.'s Steakhouse, found at all the Grand properties. These are clubby, masculine restaurants, with excellent beef grilled in exhibition kitchens, and the usual steakhouse treatments of seafood. The Gulfport L.B.'s may be the largest of the three, but it's also the most laid back of the bunch. Steak lovers won't go wrong at any of the L.B.'s, widely considered to be among the best steakhouses in the casino industry.

	From the moment it opened, Grand Casino Biloxi was lauded as the “Toast of the Coast”

Grand Biloxi

From the moment it opened, Grand Casino Biloxi was lauded as the "Toast of the Coast." In contrast to Gulfport's rambunctious, jovial design, the Biloxi property took a more elegant, "neon-Victorian" approach, and the dollar levels responded similarly. Grand Biloxi became more closely associated with high-end play, a reputation it continues to foster-but because Grand Biloxi's casino is also nearly 30,000 square feet larger, it became the more crowded, and perhaps the more popular, of the two Grands.

Without a doubt, Grand Biloxi is a property to be reckoned with. With 135,000 square feet of gaming space, it's easily the largest casino on the Gulf Coast, almost double the size of Beau Rivage. And with over 3,000 slot machines and nearly 120 table games, the gaming compares in scope to megaresorts such as the Venetian and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The layout is similar to the Gulfport casino, with a main central deck, plus additional gambling and dining on the second-story level. However, the Biloxi property has a "downstairs" gaming area called the "Mississippi Long Bar" that easily beats anything else on the Coast. This is, literally, the longest bar in the state-an endlessly winding wooden bartop that features specialty chilis, a carving station, gumbo, rare tequilas and hundreds of multiline video slots in a newly-expanded room just off the main bar area. Great fun that feels a little like a party in your best friend's basement.

Like Gulfport, the Biloxi property also has two hotels-the original, 500-room Grand Hotel Biloxi, now called the Islandview Hotel, and the newer 500-room Bayview Hotel, which offers higher-end accommodations, much along the lines of the Oasis down the street. However, the Bayview has a much more modern design, right down to its sumptuously decorated rooms and suites.

The Grand Biloxi property also features the Coast's only major entertainment arena, the Biloxi Grand Theater, which offers over 1,600 seats in a state-of-the-art hall. Look for headliners and boxing matches throughout the year. The Biloxi property continues its live entertainment in the Long Bar, which features live country and rock bands nightly.

Restaurants at Grand Biloxi maintain the same sort of consistency as those at Gulfport, although Biloxi's offerings are more diverse. The Marketplace Buffet, Islandview Coffee Shop and Roxy's Diner mirror the Gulfport restaurants, although Biloxi's are somewhat larger. Biloxi also has a popular but awkwardly situated seafood buffet tucked onto the second floor and accessible via escalator from the first floor. On the top floor, Brulo's New Orleans Seafood offers an excellent menu of fish specialties and a solid wine list, but the restaurant is located in the former Sisters Coffee Shop and needs to be remodeled to reflect the upscale cuisine. And right next to Brulo's is L.B.'s, perhaps the most conservative of the three L.B.'s, with the feel of an English gentleman's library.

Finally, the new Grand Bear Golf Course is available to guests of both properties. This is a par 72, 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, spanning over 7,200 yards and highlighting the area's towering pines and cypress wetlands.

Like its sister properties on the Gulf Coast, Grand Casino Tunica clearly dominates the local group of casinos

Grand Tunica

Not only is Tunica the state's most successful gaming region, it's also the place where you'll see the "Mississippi Miracle" most clearly evident. In the days before gaming, Tunica County was one of the country's most dreadfully impoverished areas. This was a forgotten, rural corner of the country, with little more than cotton fields and ramshackle houses. Its proximity to Memphis didn't help it a bit-but that proximity is what would allow Tunica to thrive in the casino era.

The region is only now beginning to emerge from a tough adolescence. Several weak casinos have long since packed up and floated away, but the remaining ones are more than prepared to be the major players. Far from being shoddy barges, Tunica's casinos are, for the most part, major hotel gaming facilities, each with extensive gaming areas, hotel rooms, restaurants that vary in quality from good to excellent, and one of the best mixes of slots in the gaming industry. And, like its sister properties on the Gulf Coast, Grand Casino Tunica clearly dominates the local group of casinos.

Most of Tunica's visitors arrive on wheels. The majority drive in from the surrounding environs, but license plates from as far as Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, Alabama and Florida aren't uncommon. What most people don't realize is that Tunica is remarkably accessible by plane. Memphis International Airport is barely 30 minutes from Tunica, an easy drive along highways. And since Memphis is a hub for Northwest Airlines, you may find that a flight from your airport won't even require a change of planes.

Built on more than 2,200 acres of cotton fields only a jump away from Memphis, Grand Casino Tunica is literally the largest gaming resort between Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Since the property opened in 1996, it has grown and expanded to its current 140,000 square feet of multithemed casino space, with 1,400 hotel rooms, housed in three separate and distinct buildings. The entire complex features a wide variety of food outlets, its own golf course, convention center, full-service spa, events center and a Kid's Quest Child Care center. In short, it's massive.

With over 3,000 slot and video poker machines and 120 table games, there's no question that something is here for every gambler. What is surprising, however, is how intimate the casino is, considering its massive size-a tremendous design accomplishment. And Grand Tunica is still growing. Plans are underway for an outlet mall and a second golf course.

Grand Tunica's four-casinos-in-one gives gamblers a variety of environments in which to play, without having to leave the casino. With all that daunting space, Grand's designers employed different themes throughout the facility, thereby creating the perception of separate casinos. The Mardi Gras casino is probably the most popular area, with its moody French Quarter lighting, balconies and murals. This area is home to the greatest variety of slots, particularly multilines in lower denominations. Opposite the Mardi Gras is the Western casino, with a sports bar and the largest poker room in the state. Square in the middle of these two areas is the Victorian casino, which features Grand's sumptuous high-end slot area and lounge, all the table games, the central bar and L.B.'s Steakhouse. The fourth "casino" is the nonsmoking, garden-themed Riverpark, located on the second level.

Grand Tunica's 1,400 rooms are actually spread out over three hotels. The first of these, the Grand Hotel, has nearly 200 rooms and opened in conjunction with the resort in June, 1996. The Grand Veranda, with 560 rooms, and the Grand Terrace, with 600 rooms and a full-scale spa, have since opened across the levee from the casino. Guests are transported back and forth in an ever-circling series of trams. These plantation-style hotels overlook the golf course and suggest genteel country clubs, with hardwood floors, oil paintings, expansive lobbies, full hearth fireplaces, cocktail lounges and coffee bars. They are among the most civilized hotels in the gaming industry, overflowing with Southern graciousness and well-bred formality.

Dining follows the usual Grand format, with its obligatory buffet, coffee shop and snack bar, but as in Gulfport, the standouts are Murano's Italian Café-this one smaller and considerably more casual than the Gulfport version-and L.B.'s Steakhouse, possibly the best of the three, but only by a small margin. A significant feather in this one's cap has been a renewed focus on the wine list, now under the direction of restaurant manager Bill Thweat.

The Cottonwoods Golf Course, an 18-hole Hale Irwin Championship Course with rolling fairways, three lakes and landscaped cart paths, is available to Tunica's guests, as is the Willow Sporting Clays Center, a popular sport in the South reputed to be more realistic than trap or skeet. ´

For additional information on the Grand Casinos properties, point your Web browser to www.grandcasinos.com. By phone, call (800) WIN-7777 for Grand Casino Gulfport, (800) WIN-2-WIN for Grand Casino Biloxi, or (800) WIN-4-WIN for Grand Casino Tunica.