The $25-million casino held its grand opening December 19
In the past 30 years, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) has proven how its gaming and entertainment developments can transform rural areas providing jobs and economic development. The Golden Moon and Silver Star hotels and casinos that are part of the offerings at Pearl River Resort in Choctaw and the Bok Homa Casino in Sandersville have been very successful. In December, the Choctaws opened another sister casino in Louisville, Crystal Sky, that is expected to be another good bet for generating jobs and economic growth.
The $25-million Crystal Sky Casino that held its grand opening December 19 and employs 180 people. Some are local residents who previously were commuting to Choctaw.
“Crystal Sky has some great, well-seasoned employees,” said Cassandra Grady, Executive Director of the Project Management Office for Pearl River Resort. “Some have been with Pearl River Resort for close to 30 years. They appreciate being able to work right there at home. They will have more time with their families, and more time to do other things they want to do.”
Grady said the project has created jobs not just for tribal, but non-tribal members. It is also creating another revenue source for the MBCI, which has a little more than 11,000 members.
“We expect Crystal Sky will provide a significant boost to the Louisville economy,” said Grady. “Louisville is a smaller community like Sandersville in Jones County where the Bok Homa Casino has had a very positive impact. Our tribe is continuing to grow with forward thinking leadership. This project aligns with our goals for continued economic development under the leadership of Chief Cyrus Ben.”
Louisville was chosen because of being located about halfway between Jackson and Mississippi State University in Starkville on Mississippi Highway 25.
“SEC football is top tier and we hope those folks traveling from Jackson to Starkville stop at Crystal Sky and place their sports bets, maybe eat a little something, refuel and relax before they head on to the game,” said Grady, who has worked for MBCI for 21 years. “We have a state-of-the-art sports book they can utilize to place their bets. We will have our mobile sports betting options. With geofencing, visitors can place bets in the parking lot utilizing our technology. We will also have three electric vehicle level two chargers. We think those will be very helpful as there aren’t a lot of options for EV chargers in that area.”
Grady said the new casino is a state-of-the-art facility providing a unique gaming experience while also offering delicious food, fuel and entertainment.
“It is an exceptional experience for everyone,” she said.
Non-tipped employees start at the minimum wage of $12 per hour with benefits that include paid healthcare insurance, an employer-matched 401K savings program, and a life insurance policy.
The 18,000-square-foot casino has 150 slot machines and a Sportsbook lounge. The 60-seat restaurant is patterned after the Pearl River Resorts Mama ‘n’ Em’s restaurant in Choctaw. The development also includes 3,000 square feet of retail space, in addition to fueling stations for both commercial and passenger vehicles. Grady said while not on the main reservation for the MBCI, the land is owned by the Native American Tribe, which makes it tribal land and therefore legally eligible for gaming development.
Louisville Mayor Will Hill is banking on the MBCI being as successful in Louisville as they have been with earlier developments.
“I’ve witnessed the positive change it has made for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the positive economic effects in neighboring Philadelphia,” said Hill. “Neshoba County now has improved four-lane highways and this has provided opportunities to the Choctaw Indians that they didn’t have before.”
Hill said the city has had really good communications with MBCI over the years. He was aware of this potential investment many years ago. Because of the pandemic that started in 2020, the project was delayed.
“Our thought about this all along has been to be good partners and work together,” said Hill. “It has been a pleasant experience. We are providing law enforcement, fire protection and the infrastructure to get to and from the Crystal Sky. Chief Cyrus Ben’s team has been nothing short of great, talking to us and keeping us in the loop. Although it was not required, we have a memorandum of understanding with the MBCI if we identify any additional costs to the city and data to back that up, we will work together to meet those demands or offset unexpected expenditures.”
Locals who had been commuting to work at Pearl River Resort were given first options for the jobs. Hill said that meant they had a lot of experienced people on the job on day one.
“We will have more people being able to work at home and they will be more likely to spend their money at home,” said Hill. “People choosing to work here will be gaining two hours a day, will have less wear and tear on vehicles, and possibly more income without the cost of fuel. They get paid very competitive wages and benefits. MBCI has done a really good job of taking care of their employees.”
Hill said there is a rich history of the MBCI in Winston County. The casino was named after Crystal Ridge, a MBCI community located in Nanih Waiya, which is in the southern part of Winston County. Nanih Waiya is named for an ancient earthwork mound. The mound was previously under the control of the Mississippi Parks but is now owned and maintained by the MBCI.
“There is a lot more Choctaw history in Winston County than most people would think of, ” said Hill.
It is hard to overestimate the impact of the capital investment and job creation. And while the MBCI is exempt from state gaming taxes, a major boost is expected to local sales and tourism taxes.
“We are blessed with industry in our small town having manufacturing and forest products,” said Hill. “The casino is opening in an area where we have experienced much growth from our local industry partners in recent years: Winston Plywood and Veneer, The Taylor Companies and locally owned Lake Tiak O’Khata Resort are all located very nearby. The restaurant will help meet the needs of our community and industrial traffic in the area. For example, there are approximately 150 log trucks per day to supply Winston Plywood and Veneer with raw material and the growth of The Taylor Companies in this part of our city has been tremendous. We have had quite a bit of industrial development over the past ten years. We probably had only 70 to 100 jobs on that end of the city ten years ago. With the casino opening, we will now probably have more than 1,000 jobs.”
