SHREVEPORT, La. — Situated on the Red River, opposite Bossier City, is a town on the comeback trail. When big business pulled out of Shreveport in the 1980s, namely industries related to oil products and services, it appeared to strike a death knell for the community.
While looking for a way to kick-start their economy, visions of slot machines, blackjack tables, and roulette wheels kept appearing in their heads. Tourist dollars were going south to New Orleans, west to Texas, and east to the casinos in Mississippi.