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Gambling Saved Mississippi County

ROBINSONVILLE, Mississippi – As reported by the (Mississippi) Commercial Appeal: "Before millions of visitors began streaming in to test their luck at the slot machines and blackjack tables, cotton fueled the economy in this storied corner of the Mississippi Delta.

"…Once famous for grinding poverty - in 1985 Jesse Jackson dubbed Tunica County America's Ethiopia - it is now known for gambling.

"The industry helps the county attract an estimated 13 million visitors annually, said Lynne Boyd of the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"The Zip Code is home to the county's nine casinos and most of its 6,400 hotel rooms. Along with fast-food restaurants and gas stations, there is a factory outlet mall with offerings from The Gap, Izod and Polo Ralph Lauren.

"...Boyd said the county has seen the number of jobs climb from about 2,000 in 1992 to about 19,700 today. The first casino opened in 1992.

"…Casino-driven jobs attracted Wendell Mason, 37, and Shane Springer, 31, to Robinsonville from Missouri and Texas. Springer is co-owner of a business that does painting and flooring for casinos.

"….`If you want to work, you can find a job here. There are few places in America you can say that,' Mason said. The men praised the low cost of living, friendly people and congestion-free roads…"

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