Buffett Casino Gets OK

Plans for Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino & Restaurant along the Mississippi Gulf Coast have been approved by state gambling regulators.

On Thursday, the Mississippi Gaming Commission backed plans for a $48 million resort with a 68,000-square-foot casino and restaurant, along with retail stores, an events center and a marina. The project will be built along Biloxi’s Back Bay.

The target date for opening is the spring of 2012.

Buffett is a native of Pascagoula, Miss.