History

Tunica is a small town in Tunica County, Mississippi with a population just shy of 1200 people located on the Mississippi River. Like many small river towns, the history of the town is rich in agriculture. But unlike many small river towns, Tunica has a rich culture and history surrounding its many legal casinos.

Tunica’s history and the culture of Tunica’s people is shaped largely by its proximity on the fringe of a growing Tunica casino resort area right on the river. Despite the town of Tunica’s rich agricultural history, Tunica now attracts visitors and tourists from across the Southeast thanks to the food and Tunica casino resorts that have popped up around the small river town of Tunica. As a result, Tunica, the small river town with a rich agricultural history has grown into the third largest gaming region in the country, after Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Since 1990, people have been coming to visit Tunica on the river for a bit of casino food and culture.

The Tunica casino resorts serve as the main economic force of Tunica, with tourism and tax dollars providing a large majority of Tunica’s public culture funds for Tunica’s people. Unlike other casino towns that are spread along the Mississippi River, Tunica was not in the immediate path of Hurricane Katrina. So while other people living in casino towns along the River lost their homes and their income, the casinos in Tunica were able to stay open, drawing even more people to the Tunica casinos.

The people that live in the town of Tunica enjoy a rich history and culture. Tunica has served as the Tunica county seat since 1888, following Commerce, Peyton, and Austin. The people of Tunica share a diverse culture with 68% white people and 30% black people making up the river town’s population. For every 100 Tunica women, there are approximately 88 males in Tunica.