On the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Most Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos are totally rebuilt and open for business following the hit they took from Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

TWO CASINOS NOW HAVE RV PARKS:
SILVER SLIPPER & HOLLYWOOD

RVers who prefer to hookup next to the casino will be happy to learn that the Silver Slipper in Lakeshore, MS now has an RV Park. RVers can enjoy the modern, full-hookup sites in a beautiful waterfront setting overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. All sites are back-ins at $26.75 per night. Shuttle service is provided to the casino.
Gaming: The new Silver Slipper Casino opened post-Katrina on a lovely parcel in Hancock County just west of Waveland. In addition to the full complement of slots and pit/table games, Silver Slipper has the only live keno on the Gulf Coast.
Entertainment: Backgrounds by Rowena entertains nightly in the Blue Bayou Bar & Grill with a combination of mandolin, guitar and keyboards in quiet classic style. Free shows are also scheduled in the Stage Bar on weekends.
Location: Silver Slipper is located about five miles west of Waveland, MS.

The always popular RV Park at Hollywood Casino in Bay St Louis was the first RV facility to reopen following Katrina and it's been busy! We stopped there on Monday and were glad we had made reservations in advance. Don't forget to use a Players Card when you play at Hollywood Casino. Your RV Park stay will be automatically discounted based on the points you accumulate. We played for about two hours and the one-night stay priced out at $6.20 after they scanned our Players cards...and I only play pennies or nickles.
More than gambling: Hollywood bills itself as the most comprehensive resort on the Gulf Coast with a casino, 5 restaurants, entertainment, golf course plus hotel & RV accomodations. Nearby Old Town Bay St Louis is also now back in business with antiques, art galleries, shopping and dining in the quaint coastal town. If you have a tow vehicle or toad, Old Town is just a short drive to Main Street where lots of shops are packed into a 3-block area.

You can get to both Silver Slipper and Hollywood via exit 13 off Interstate 10.

More expansions in the Northwest

Casinos in Washington and Oregon continue to expand their casinos, restaurants and entertainment venues.

In the little town of Florence, OR (population 8,000) the Three Rivers Casino recently expanded. The cozy casino with a great location expanded its gaming floor from about 15,000 square feet to 82,000 square feet with hundreds of new slots and an expanded table games area. A new hotel with spectacular views opened in December. The variety of dining options includes the buffet, a steakhouse and a 24-hour cafe. Located on US Highway 126 just east of Florence on the coast, Three Rivers is RV-Friendly.

In Marysville, WA, Tulalip Casino has enjoyed the distinction of being the largest casino in the state. Not to rest on their laurels, the Tulalip Tribes continue to work toward becoming a destination resort. They already have a casino, amphitheater for outdoor concerts and a 100-store outlet mall. This summer a luxury hotel and convention center will be completed. Tulalip has always been RV-Friendly. Even though an RV Park has not yet been included in their expansion plan, it is expected that the casino will continue to accomodate self-contained RVs for dry camping. The casino is located convenient to I-5 at exit 200.

Expansion at Angel of the Winds

Angel of the Winds Casino in Arlington, WA is poised for some sweeping changes this year. A large expansion will triple the size of the current casino, located just off Interstate 5 at exit 210. The 20,000 square-foot casino that had opened in 2004 will increase its size to 57,000 square feet by the end of this year. The expanded gaming floor will include 900 Vegas-style slots, a new poker room and a new keno room.

The good news for RVers is that they also plan to add an RV Park! Currently, Angel of the Winds offers free overnight parking for self-contained RVs, and its location is an easy drive off the interstate. From I-5 exit 210 follow 236th St/Kackman Rd west for 1.5 mile then north on 35th Ave for .3 mile and turn left into the casino.

Good News From Florida's Indian Casinos

Last week Florida's Seminole casinos started upgrading their slot machines from Class II to Class III (Vegas-style) slots. Beginning at the Hard Rock in Tampa, the slots and video poker machines will gradually be converted to Class III gaming machines over the next few months at all Seminole casino locations in the state. No news yet about whether any pit or other table games will be added to the gaming floor. Currently the only live action is in the poker room.