The Southern Belle closed on August 31, 1994, as its owners stated that the Tunica market had become overly saturated, with ten casinos in operation. It was designed to resemble a Southern mansion, and had facilities including 60,000 square feet (5,600 m 2) of gaming space, three restaurants, and a 1,500-seat event venue, the River Bend Event Center. The Southern Belle Casino opened for a two-day test run on February 19, 1994, and then opened permanently on February 24. Construction was budgeted for $30 million, but ran up to $67 million.
The casino was developed by Belle Casinos, a company that owned the Biloxi Belle casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and was owned primarily by restaurateur Jim Hasslocher.
History Southern Belle Casino (1994-1995) The resort closed in June 2019 due to declining revenue. Resorts was owned by Gaming & Leisure Properties and operated by Penn National Gaming. It was one of three casinos located in the 'Casino Strip' area, along with Sam's Town and Hollywood Casino. Resorts Casino Tunica, formerly Southern Belle Casino and Harrah's Tunica Mardi Gras Casino, was a 201-room hotel and a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m 2) casino located in Tunica Resorts, Mississippi. Defunct hotel, casino, and golf course in Mississippi Resorts Casino Tunica
