Update on the Progress of Diamond Jacks in Bossier

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Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns was in town this week meeting with the mayors of both, Shreveport and Bossier City.  Before addressing any Diamond Jacks progress, Johns expressed his enthusiasm about the state of gaming in our area.

Johns told KEEL News on Wednesday morning:

First of all, let me say how impressed I am with what everybody is doing... Every other property up here is investing in their amenities... there're some exciting announcements that are coming in the next few months with entertainment venues and restaurants...

A Brief Diamond Jacks History

The Bossier casino first opened as Isle of Capri in 1994. They added the hotel in 1999.  After Isle of Capri, the facility was rebranded in 2006 as Diamond Jacks.  It closed at the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2020, but never reopened.  In December of 2022, it was announced that Foundation Gaming purchased the Bossier City property and was awarded the gaming license.  Then in April of 2023, Foundation announced they were selling the property to Baltimore based Cordish Companies.

When asked if things seem to be stalling with the deal with Cordish, Johns said things are actually moving forward ahead of schedule.

Since we have entered into this agreement with Foundation, then to Cordish, things are actually ahead of schedule...   Johns continued, "We're moving forward, all the demolition work at Diamond Jacks has been going on.  I walked through there Monday afternoon, the property has been completely demoed... I'm very impressed with what they've done. They've gutted the entire property, they've spent millions of dollars there.... so we're going through what Louisiana law says.  They're going through what's called suitability, and once they are deemed suitable, which they will be, they're suitable in a number of other states...  they will begin their construction, I think, in first quarter of 2024.  We're right on schedule,  I'm very excited about it. This is going to be a game changer in the Shreveport Bossier market.

Cordish plans to create 30,000-square-feet of best-in-class dining and entertainment venues including 6+ new food and beverage outlets featuring nationally acclaimed concepts Sports & Social and PBR Cowboy Bar.

It will be transformed into a "world-class gaming, dining, entertainment and hotel destination, featuring more than 47,000-square-feet of gaming space including 1,000+ slots and electronic table games and 30+ live action table games. It will also include an upscale 400+ room resort-style hotel and a 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, multi-purpose event center for top name entertainment, meeting, conventions, non-profit and social gatherings.