Casino reopens in Gulfport

GULFPORT, Miss. -- The Island View Casino has opened on the former site of the Grand Casino, marking the return of gambling to Gulfport, post-Katrina.

The casino's owners, Rick Cartner and Terry Green, both Gulfport natives, started out in the business with an old cruise ship, the Copa Casino. They later replaced it with a gambling barge that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

After the storm, they bought out their bigger competitor from Harrah's Entertainment, then secured a quarter-billion dollars in financing to develop the property.