Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant
A now-closed casino and restaurant complex in Biloxi, Mississippi, operated under license from Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville brand.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant was a themed casino and dining complex in Biloxi, Mississippi, located in the city's Back Bay area near Point Cadet. The property operated under a license for the Margaritaville brand associated with musician and entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett. It combined casino gaming, restaurants, outdoor entertainment, and marina-oriented hospitality in a 68,000-square-foot facility designed to reflect the brand's relaxed coastal and tropical identity. The Biloxi project emerged from a long effort to bring Margaritaville to the Gulf Coast. Buffett, who was born in nearby Pascagoula, had explored a Biloxi development as early as 2000. An earlier concept involved a hotel and amphitheater on beachfront land between the former Casino Magic and Grand Casino properties. Following Hurricane Katrina, which devastated major parts of the Mississippi Gulf Coast casino market, developer Tom Brosig sought to create a new casino in Biloxi's Back Bay and pursued the Margaritaville name. A separate 2007 partnership between Buffett and Harrah's Entertainment proposed a much larger, approximately $700 million Margaritaville Casino Resort on the sites of the destroyed casinos. That project was suspended in 2008 amid the Great Recession and financial problems surrounding Harrah's after its privatization. Brosig's smaller Back Bay project ultimately moved forward after financing challenges linked to the recession and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The development assembled approximately $63 million in investment from a group of equity participants and secured a 20-year agreement to use the Margaritaville brand. Plans were publicly presented in 2011 for a 68,000-square-foot casino costing approximately $48 million. The city granted the project expedited approval in March 2011, and the Mississippi Gaming Commission approved it after reviewing the proposal in April. The venue opened to the public on May 22, 2012. Its initial casino offering included 820 slot machines and 18 table games, while its hospitality facilities included two levels of dining decks and a marina offering food, drinks, and waterside entertainment. In June 2013, it became the first casino in Mississippi gaming history to offer outdoor gaming, adding three blackjack tables at LandShark Landing and Marina. The property planned a major expansion featuring a 250-room hotel, suites, and proposed timeshare accommodations, but the expansion depended on financing that was not secured. A dispute with the property's landlord prevented the hotel financing from being completed. In July 2014, the casino announced that closure was likely, and the venue ceased operations on September 15, 2014. The former property was offered for sale in 2015. Later redevelopment proposals included a planned Biloxi House at Point Cadet, but those plans were canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the complex was sold to MIC Limited, a company owned by Harry Mohney. The announced redevelopment concept involved converting the former casino into an entertainment venue with restaurants and bars rather than restoring the original Margaritaville casino operation.
History
The idea of bringing Margaritaville to Biloxi dates to at least 2000, when Jimmy Buffett explored a hotel and amphitheater project on Gulf Coast property. Buffett's connection to the region was personal as well as commercial: he was born in nearby Pascagoula. The early concept did not proceed, but the brand remained associated with potential redevelopment of Biloxi's casino and tourism district. Hurricane Katrina changed the development environment. The storm destroyed the Casino Magic and Grand Casino properties and caused severe economic damage along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Tom Brosig, founder of Grand Casinos, came out of retirement seeking a site for a new casino that could contribute to the region's recovery. He focused on the Back Bay location that eventually became the Margaritaville site and pursued an agreement to use the Margaritaville name. According to Brosig, discussions came close to an agreement in 2006. A separate and substantially larger proposal was announced in 2007, when Buffett and Harrah's Entertainment began work on a proposed Margaritaville Casino Resort at the sites of the former casinos. The project was valued at approximately $700 million and was presented partly as a contribution to post-Katrina economic recovery. Construction was suspended in 2008. The Great Recession weakened the development market, while Harrah's experienced serious financial pressure after being taken private. Brosig continued developing the Back Bay project despite the difficult financing environment. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill added another obstacle to Gulf Coast tourism and investment. Eventually, the project assembled approximately $63 million in investment from a group of roughly twenty equity investors and reached a 20-year licensing agreement for the Margaritaville brand. In 2011, Buffett and Brosig presented a smaller plan: a 68,000-square-foot casino and restaurant with an estimated development cost of $48 million. The site was the former East Harrison County Industrial Park. Biloxi granted the project fast-track approval in March 2011. On April 7, Buffett appeared before the Mississippi Gaming Commission to explain and support the proposal, and the commission approved it. Construction was planned on a compressed schedule, with groundbreaking expected in April and completion anticipated within approximately nine months. Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant opened on May 22, 2012. The property contained 820 slot machines and 18 table games, along with two levels of dining decks and a marina serving food, drinks, and entertainment. Its design and programming extended the broader Margaritaville concept into a casino setting, combining leisure, music-oriented theming, food service, and gaming. In June 2013, the venue introduced outdoor gaming at LandShark Landing and Marina. The addition of three blackjack tables made it the first casino in Mississippi gaming history to offer outdoor gaming. The operator also sought to expand the property with a hotel. In December 2013, Doug Shipley announced a proposed 250-room facility containing 170 deluxe guest rooms and 80 two- and three-bedroom suites, with timeshare units also under consideration through an international partner. The hotel plan became central to the property's financial difficulties. In July 2014, the casino announced that it was likely to close because an unresolved dispute with the landlord was preventing the financing needed for the expansion. The casino and restaurant closed permanently on September 15, 2014. The property was listed for sale the following year. The former casino continued to attract redevelopment interest. In 2019, a new group proposed Biloxi House at Point Cadet, a $200 million project that would have added a 300-room hotel and other amenities. That plan was canceled in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. In August 2023, after approximately nine years of closure, the complex was sold to MIC Limited, a company owned by Harry Mohney, whose businesses included Cat's Meow karaoke bars and Dick's Last Resort restaurants in New Orleans. The announced post-sale concept focused on converting the former Margaritaville casino into an entertainment venue with restaurants and bars. This represented a proposed reuse of the property rather than a confirmed revival of the original casino operation.
- 2023
Former complex sold for proposed entertainment reuse
[1]MIC Limited acquired the closed complex and announced plans centered on restaurants, bars, and entertainment.
- 2014
Operations end
[1]The casino and restaurant closed on September 15 after expansion financing was blocked by a landlord dispute.
- 2013
Outdoor gaming introduced
[1]Three blackjack tables opened at LandShark Landing and Marina, creating a Mississippi gaming-history first.
- 2012
Biloxi casino opens
[1]The 68,000-square-foot Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant opened on May 22 with slots, table games, dining decks, and a marina.
- 2011
Smaller Back Bay casino plan approved
[1]Biloxi fast-tracked the project in March, and the Mississippi Gaming Commission approved it in April.
- 2008
Resort construction suspended
[1]The larger Harrah's-linked resort project was suspended amid the Great Recession and Harrah's financial difficulties.
- 2007
Large Margaritaville resort partnership announced
[1]Buffett and Harrah's Entertainment began construction planning for a much larger Margaritaville Casino Resort at former casino sites.
- 2006
Back Bay brand discussions advance
[1]Tom Brosig said he nearly reached an agreement to use the Margaritaville brand for a proposed Back Bay casino.
- 2000
Early Biloxi Margaritaville concept explored
[1]Jimmy Buffett explored a possible Biloxi hotel and amphitheater project on beachfront land.
Products and positioning
A tropical, music-themed casino and restaurant combining Margaritaville-branded dining and leisure entertainment with casino gaming and marina activities.
Gaming · 2012
Casino gaming
The core offering consisted of casino gaming, including 820 slot machines and 18 table games at opening. In 2013, the venue extended gaming outdoors with three blackjack tables at LandShark Landing and Marina, an innovation described as the first outdoor casino gaming offering in Mississippi gaming history.
Restaurant dining · 2012
Margaritaville dining decks
The property included two levels of dining decks designed around the Margaritaville leisure and tropical-entertainment theme. Food and beverage service formed a central part of the complex alongside casino gaming and was extended to the waterfront marina area.
Waterfront entertainment · 2012
LandShark Landing and Marina
The marina area offered waterside entertainment, food, and drinks. It later became the location for the property's outdoor blackjack tables, linking the casino experience with an open-air waterfront setting.
Brand decisions
2023
Sell the former complex to MIC LimitedM&ABackground
The casino and restaurant complex had been closed for approximately nine years and had attracted several unsuccessful redevelopment proposals.
Action taken
The property was sold to MIC Limited, a company owned by Harry Mohney.
Aftermath
The announced reuse concept focused on an entertainment venue with restaurants and bars rather than a confirmed reopening of the original casino.
2014
Close the casino and restaurantOtherBackground
A dispute with the landlord prevented the financing needed for the planned hotel development.
Action taken
The operator announced the impending closure and ended operations on September 15, 2014.
Aftermath
The property remained closed, was listed for sale in 2015, and later became the subject of alternative redevelopment proposals.
2013
Introduce outdoor blackjack gamingProduct launchBackground
The property sought to extend its Margaritaville leisure concept beyond the indoor casino floor and make use of its waterfront entertainment area.
Action taken
Three blackjack tables were installed at LandShark Landing and Marina.
Aftermath
The venue became the first casino in Mississippi gaming history to offer outdoor gaming.
2013
Plan a hotel expansionStrategyBackground
Management sought to broaden the casino complex into a larger resort and accommodation destination.
Action taken
President and CEO Doug Shipley announced plans for a 250-room hotel, including deluxe rooms, larger suites, and potential timeshare units.
Aftermath
The expansion did not proceed because financing was ultimately blocked by an unresolved landlord dispute.
2011
Proceed with a smaller Back Bay casino projectStrategyBackground
The earlier, much larger Margaritaville resort associated with Harrah's Entertainment had been suspended during the financial crisis. Tom Brosig continued pursuing a smaller project at the Back Bay site despite recession-related financing difficulties and the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Action taken
The developers assembled approximately $63 million from equity investors, secured a 20-year Margaritaville brand agreement, and presented a 68,000-square-foot casino and restaurant plan.
Aftermath
The project received expedited city approval and Mississippi Gaming Commission approval, opening in May 2012.
Reported development cost. 48000000 (2011 project plan)
Sources1 sources
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