Date Set for Majestic Star Closing

Inside the former Majestic Star casino.

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As the new Hard Rock Casino in Gary prepares to open next month, the casino it is replacing is set to permanently close in less than two weeks.

Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report the 25-year-old Majestic Star Casino at Buffington Harbor will shut down on April 18.

Indianapolis-based Spectacle Entertainment says all staff members and some of the gaming equipment will make the move to the new land-based casino, which opens May 14.

“While it is bittersweet to say goodbye to our little casino on Buffington Harbor, the entire team at Majestic Star Casino is excited about the transition to Hard Rock,” said Jahnae Erpenbach, Spectacle Entertainment chief executive officer and Majestic Star general manager. “Working with an international brand in northern Indiana is a wonderful opportunity for our employees, as well as a new entertainment experience for the entire community.”

The publication says the Majestic Star and its sister casino ship, Trump, opened June 11, 1996. They operated as separate gaming facilities with their own casino licenses.  The Indiana Gaming Commission required Spectacle to surrender one of the licenses as part of its plan to open the new casino.

The publication says Majestic Star customers with winning tickets or chips will be able to cash them at the Hard Rock for the foreseeable future.