Isle of Capri Casinos opens $135 million property in southern Missouri

Lost among last week’s hurricane coverage and campaign news was Isle of Capri Casinos’ opening of its $135 million casino in southern Missouri.

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau opened last Tuesday with 1,000 slot machines, 28 table games and five restaurants in the community approximately 120 miles south of St. Louis.

The casino, Isle of Capri’s 16th casino, was Missouri’s final gaming license. The Cape Girardeau location was chosen in December 2010 by the Missouri Gaming Commission.

"Today we turned a dream into reality in Cape Girardeau," Isle of Capri CEO Virginia McDowell said in a statement. “We are so proud of all the wonderful relationships we have forged with the citizens of Cape Girardeau and even prouder of the team we have built to operate the facility. The enthusiasm for this project has been remarkable from the very beginning and we are so excited to share this dream with the entire community."

The company said Isle Casino Cape Girardeau attracted more than 3,600 people in its first six hours. The casino hired 725 employees.

“Our City Council has identified 16 projects to fund with the gaming revenue we will receive," Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger said in a statement. "We are now in a newly stimulated growth mode and greatly anticipate the probability of future commercial and residential growth.”