The Mississippi Gaming Commission recently granted conditional site approval for the Tullis Garden Hotel and Casino project in Biloxi. This decision, made during a meeting in Jackson, allows the developers to move forward, provided certain legal matters are resolved. The key issue involves whether a Tidelands lease is required for the site.

Tullis Garden Casino gains conditional approval:

Jay McDaniel, the executive director of the Gaming Commission, confirmed that the project meets statutory requirements, though litigation from Secretary of State Michael Watson may affect its progress. Watson had previously taken similar legal action against the project in October, delaying approval for two months.

Located on a 35-acre site along U.S. 90, west of Harrah’s Gulf Coast, the Tullis Garden Casino proposes a 300-room hotel, a 53,280-square-foot gaming floor with 909 slot machines and 35 table games, a sportsbook, and various dining options. While the site approval is an important milestone, McDaniel emphasized that additional documentation and financing plans must be submitted before construction can begin.

A decision on the Biloxi Capital project, planned for the historic Tivoli Hotel site, was deferred due to a pending lawsuit. Secretary of State Watson filed the complaint just two days before the Commission’s meeting, asserting that a Tidelands lease is necessary for the casino to legally operate.

The Tivoli project, located on a 32-acre site near the Biloxi Yacht Club, is more ambitious in scale. Plans include a 1,300-room hotel, a 100,000-square-foot casino floor with 2,000 slot machines and 75 table games, a sportsbook, and convention space. Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich voiced strong support for the proposal, highlighting its alignment with the city’s vision for future development.

“The site is not just a location,” Gilich remarked during the meeting, Biloxi SunHerald reports. “It reflects what Biloxi can achieve in the next five or ten years.” The site has been a tourist attraction since the 1920s and is surrounded by thousands of hotel rooms, making it an appealing prospect for economic growth.

Despite the support, legal challenges remain a significant barrier. Watson’s Verified Complaint stated that any party intending to develop Public Trust Tidelands must secure a lease through his office. This requirement has sparked debates over fairness, with some casino operators claiming the regulations are inconsistently enforced.

Future decisions await:

The Mississippi Gaming Commission is expected to revisit the Tivoli project during its next meeting on January 16 in Biloxi. This could provide clarity on the legal disputes surrounding Tideland’s leases.

While site approval is a critical first step in the development process, it does not guarantee construction will proceed. Developers must demonstrate compliance with all regulations and provide evidence of sufficient financing to complete their projects.

Currently, six other sites in Biloxi have received similar approvals but remain undeveloped. Both the Tullis Garden and Tivoli projects represent significant investments in the region’s gaming and tourism sectors, pending the resolution of legal and regulatory challenges.