As part of KTBS 3’s “70 Stories for 70 Years” series, KTBS is revisiting one of the biggest shifts in the Shreveport-Bossier landscape — the rise of the local casino industry.
Today, casinos are a defining feature of the Red River riverfront. But four decades ago, they were just an idea sparking both hope and controversy.
It all began in 1991 when Louisiana lawmakers legalized riverboat gambling in a bid to boost the state’s economy. The area’s first riverboat, the “Shreveport Rose,” docked along the Red River, marking a new era — and some local leaders, including then-Shreveport Mayor Hazel Beard, weren’t so sure about it.
