MGM Beau Rivage, Aristocrat Gaming to open new Buffalo Zone area in Mississippi

MGM Resorts International’s Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Mississippi has secured a partnership deal with Aristocrat Gaming to open the first ‘Buffalo Zone’ in the region.

The gambling floor debut will be home to 50 themed slot machines located across a 1,500-square-foot gaming arena. With its installment, Buffalo Zone will be dedicated exclusively to the Buffalo brand of slot games that Aristocrat Gaming develops.

Buffalo Zone

The Buffalo Zone will offer the Aristocrat Gaming’s successful series. Located on the resort’s casino floor at the base of the convention level escalators, guests can play titles like Buffalo Chief, Buffalo Max, Buffalo Gold, Buffalo Link, Buffalo Gold Revolution, and Buffalo Grand there.

Aristocrat’s Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Data Analytics, Jon Hanlin, said, 

"We're thrilled to partner with Beau Rivage to launch Mississippi's second 'Buffalo Zone'. We've had a great response since opening the first Buffalo Zone last summer at Beau Rivage's sister resort Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica and expect a similar reaction on the Mississippi Gulf Coast."

"Buffalo continues to be the strongest brand in gaming, and with Beau Rivage's new 'Buffalo Zone', players will enjoy their favorite Buffalo-themed games in one exciting place," Hanlin added.

The Buffalo series is a product of Aristocrat Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. The leading global-games company is licensed in more than 300 gaming jurisdictions and operates casinos in more than 90 countries worldwide.

Beau Rivage

With the hotel’s 85,000 square foot area exclusively made for casino grounds, Aristocrat Gaming has chosen Mississippi’s Beau Rivage as the second casino property in the state to partner with. The Buffalo Zone will be a fresh addition to the BetMGM Book Bar and Grill.

MGM Resorts' Beau Rivage Resort & Casino first made the announcement in February. The management revealed their plans to remodel all the guestrooms by November of this year. Additionally, the hallways are going to get new carpeting, lights, and wall coverings. The Buffalo Zone will be built in a new room that was initially a private dining room.

"Beau Rivage is the first Gulf Coast casino to partner with Aristocrat Gaming to bring the 'Buffalo Zone' to the region," said Brandon Dardeau, Beau Rivage’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

"Buffalo games are extremely popular among our players and having the opportunity to create a special gaming section allows us to further enhance our guests’ gaming experience," Dardeau said.

Dardeau was promoted as the President and Chief Operating Officer of MGM’s Southeast operations earlier this January. With this, he will be overseeing the changes at the Beau Rivage and Gold Strike Casino Resorts in Tunica, Mississippi.

MGM Resorts’ Beau Rivage is based in South Mississippi. The hotel offers 1,740 hotel rooms, 10 restaurants, and a 1,550-seat theatre that showcases regular live entertainment. On top of that, the resort also has a shopping promenade with a Black Clover Lounge and Topgolf Swing Suite.

The executives first proposed the renovations two years ago. They aimed to remodel the suites first and expected to move on into the hotel rooms quickly afterward. However, the progress was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February, the management updated the renovation progress and announced the new, anticipated presence of the hotel’s own Buffalo Zone.