Speaking of gamblers:
Closing coast casinos costs Miss. $500,000 a day in tax revenue
(Jackson, Miss.-AP) August 29, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina has dealt Mississippi's economy a major blow.
The powerful storm silenced slot machines and halted card games on the flashy casinos that dot the Gulf Coast.
The gambling houses are built on barges anchored just off the beach, and Governor Haley Barbour said during a midday briefing that emergency officials have received reports of water reaching the second or third floors of some casinos.
Barbour says there have been no reports of casinos breaking loose from moorings or having any other structural damage. It's unclear how long the gambling houses will remain closed.
Large industries, from shipyards to chemical plants, operate along the Mississippi and Alabama coastlines. Storm damage could delay production for days or weeks.
About 14,000 people work in the dozen casinos along the Mississippi coastline. Each casino has a land-based hotel, and thousands more work in those.
At Treasure Bay, a flashing sign said: "Closed due to Katrina. Katrina Go Away."
http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=3779085&nav=6DJIdsNG