Biloxi, Mississippi is well on its way to being rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina.  Economists agree that this weeks ruling to permit casinos to rebuild on the southern border of US 90 in Biloxi, and up to 800 feet inland along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi will be vital in stimulating the economy, creating more jobs. and helping Mississippi to become more financially sound than it ever was.  The State Senate passed the bill, which was endorsed by Mississippi Governor, Haley Barbour.  Some casinos have already committed themselves to rebuilding on the land, which is a lifesaver to many smaller businesses who depend on the business that casinos have brought to the region since the early 90's.

Legislation that would allow casinos in Mississippi to begin building on land has been passed by the state Senate in a 29 to 21 vote.  To the elation of local lobbyists, business owners and gambling professionals, the decision came as a result of several barge casinos being destroyed by the devastating Hurricane Katrina.

Largely due to the efforts of Mississippi Governor, Haley Barbour, who backed the measure by stating that casinos would be better protected from possible future storms if the building were on a solid foundation, the bill overturns former legislation from 1990, which said that all casinos must be built on barges in the Mississippi River or directly in the Gulf of Mexico.

Now, casinos can go up as far as eight-hundred feet inland, while those in Harrison County (Biloxi) can be built as far as the southern boundary of US 90.  This busy highway runs parallel with the beach through most of the county, and is considered prime real estate as far as anyone is concerned.  Perhaps this is the reason why some casino owners have said they will still rebuild on the water.  This is hard to fathom for most, considering the possibility of another hurricane, as well as the expenses and difficulty of insuring a casino built on the water.

However, several large casino groups, including Harrah's, revealed intentions to build inland, which also probably had some weight in getting the bill passed.  The main argument, however, was how much casinos have done for the Mississippi economy prior to Hurricane Katrina.  This is why many business owners who offered their services to many of these casinos lobbied hard to get the legislation passed.

Not only will the reconstruction of casinos stimulate the economy and vastly help to get it back on its feet again, it will create thousands of jobs and generated hundreds of thousands in tax revenue each day for the state of Mississippi.

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