TUNICA COUNTY, Mississippi —
Casino revenue in Tunica is a majority of its economy because they draw people from all over. People like LaTonya Morris were shocked they had to leave so abruptly, but they think it’s for the best.
“I come back today and they said you gotta go!” Morris said. “I’m like what?!”
That was the reaction of a lot of people leaving Tunica casinos on Monday. For Morris, Fitz Casino and Hotel is her getaway, and she was planning to stay another night before she got word to pack her bags.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Morris said. “I think everybody needs to shut down though.”
Morris agreed all places should be extra cautious. Especially places like casinos, which attract people from all over.
“It’s a virus,” Morris said. “We don’t know where it is, who got what.”
Customer Charlesetta Brown came in the morning to spend two nights at Fitz. She had no idea this was coming.
“I try to follow the guidelines of the professionals, the experts, so yes I think it was the right thing to,” Brown said.
She is worried about the casino workers who will consequently be out of work.
“It’s going to hurt the county, it’s going to hurt the workers like the bellsmen, the waitresses, just the workers it’s going to hurt them,” Brown said.
Horseshoe Tunica said in a statement there are no reported cases of COVID-19 at its casino. It’s working with the Mississippi Gaming Commission to work on a smooth closing process.