DiamondJacks Bossier City reopening extended

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has approved an extension granting DiamondJacks until February 25, 2022 to resume gaming operations in Bossier City.

Los Angeles-based Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) originally had until February 9 to resume gaming or relinquish its license after voters in St. Tammany Parish voted down a proposal to move the license to the site of a proposed new casino and marina in Slidell, LA.

Under the extension, DiamondJacks will be required to file a “comprehensive and verifiable plan” for its reopening of gaming operations. According to the amended Board resolution, “the licensee’s plan shall, at a minimum, include the date of recommencement of gaming operations, proposed operational minimums, and the costs associated therewith.”

DiamondJacks closed down in May 2020, and announced it would not reopen after pandemic restrictions were lifted. The casino subsequently laid off hundreds of employees and held a liquidation sale.

Advantage players, as they always do, are monitoring the situation. New casinos and those reopening, often with inexperienced staff, can be ripe for skilled play, whether it be card counters at blackjack, machine advantage plays, sportsbetting, or other methods of gaining an edge over the casino.

What will it take to reopen DiamondJacks -- and what if it doesn’t happen?

The Louisiana Casino Association says it believes the Shreveport-Bossier City market can support the reopening of the casino.

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board required in its approval of relocating the license that P2E would be required to resume gambling operations in Bossier City within 60 days if the Slidell referendum failed.

Alternatively, P2E could surrender the license. The Gaming Control Board does not want the license, one of 15 for “riverboat” casinos in the state, sitting unused for much longer.

Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns said, “We cannot let the license stay dormant. We have an obligation to the state and local government to put that license back into commerce and that is our intention, whether it be DiamondJacks or somebody else, we absolutely want to put that license back into commerce.

“The problem is if you’ve got a market that has a sufficient number of casinos to service customer demand and you want to move a license, where do you move it? Because Louisiana has limitations on that, too. It’s got to be in an approved parish for riverboat gaming and it has to be on an approved waterway.”

Because P2E chose to keep the license and resume the operations in Bossier City, it will have to get the property back in conformity with state regulations before it can be reopened.

“They will work with state regulators to demonstrate their suitability to reopen, that they have the equipment in place, the people in place, they have a process in place, before the regulators will give their consent for them to resume operations in that location.”

Johns said if they do not reopen, the board has the right to ask them to relinquish the license.

“I hope it does not come to that. I hope DiamondJacks makes a commitment to not only reopen, but to upgrade the facility in Bossier City.”

Sources:

“DiamondJacks owners get more time to reopen Bossier City casino” , Carolyn Roy, arklatexhomepage.com, January 20, 2022.

“Here’s what it will take to reopen DiamondJacks – and what happens if it doesn’t” , Carolyn Roy, Donald Britton, arklatexhomepage.com, December 13, 2021.