The Missouri Gaming Commission passed a resolution Wednesday to declare Isle of Capri’s Cape Girardeau casino is suitable for a gaming license.
That puts the casino one step closer to opening. The commission will hand Isle of Capri the license when it opens on October 30.
Missouri Gaming Commission chairman Barrett Hatches says the commission does not have any major concerns at this point, he adds he still cannot call the license “a slam dunk.”
Hatches says the new casino will still have to go through a final inspection.
“If you walk through with the un-trained eye, it just appears there are a lot of things to be done,” Hatches said. “I have a lot of confidence in the people who have responsibility for getting this casino ready, and when you look at what they have done to date in the time frame they have done it, we’re feeling pretty good about it.”
Media toured the casino in the afternoon and checked out the five restaurants, gaming floor and other facilities. Construction is still in full swing, but it is all coming together - like the 988 slot machines, 21 live tables and 7 live poker tables.
New employees are training, and over the next few days they will go through mock sessions that imitate what it will be like as a chef, server, or dealer, according to general manager Chet Koch.
“The unemployment rate in Cape was already low. It was actually a very strong employment base in Cape. We were rather surprised. We got over 9,000 applications for positions. Out of that 9,000, we hired 725 of the best people,” Koch said.
Koch says 70 percent are full time, and 30 percent of part time. Nearly 4 out of 5 workers are from within 50 miles of Cape Girardeau. About one-third of the employees will work in food service.
The Isle of Capri Casino will open next Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
