Bossier City’s Horseshoe Casino Evacuated As Poker Tournament Starts

Just as a massive poker tournament was getting underway, Bossier City's Horseshoe Casino was evacuated on Thursday night.

Why Was Horseshoe Casino Evacuated?

Around 6pm, some of the players on the casino floor started to notice a smell. One of the players said that it "smelled like bbq" and that they thought a catering spread was being brought onto the floor. However that wasn't the case.

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Initial reports indicated it was an electrical fire that had started, and that caused the evacuation around 6:15pm. The electrical fire was confirmed to KEEL News by Bossier City Mayor Tommy Chandler.

Bossier City officials tell KEEL News:

"It was the crosstie on the outside that has the rubber bumpers to the boat. The boat is evacuated and the RiverDome was not affected. The electricity is temporarily cut off at the boat at this time."

The evacuation took place with Bossier City Police Department involvement. Only the casino floor was evacuated, other parts of the property remained open and operational.

No injuries have been reported.

What Event Was Happening At Horseshoe Casino When It Was Evacuated?

The event taking place tonight was the Louisiana State Poker Championship presented by Southern Poker Promotions. This event starts tonight, and runs through September 28th. It will include 15 events over 11 days at Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City.

The lines to get back onto the boat included about 100 players at one time. Staff was witnessed giving bottles of water to those waiting to return to the casino floor.

After 9pm, Louisiana State Police and casino management were able to give the approval for players to return to the casino.