Isle of Capri Casinos got clearance from the Mississippi Gaming Commission Thursday to move ahead with its planned purchase of Rainbow Casino from Bally Technologies for about $80 million.

Isle of Capri and Bally officials announced the sale in early April, and Rainbow Casino Marketing Director Mickey Fedell said Thursday the casino will officially change hands on June 9 without any closures. Fedell said the casino will carry the Rainbow name and brand until probably next year.

“Everything will stay the same initially,” Fedell said. “We will have a name-branding transition probably in January or February, along with some grand opening events.”

Rainbow, one of five casinos in the city, has about 300 employees, 830 slot machines, 10 table games, an 89-room hotel and two restaurants.

“Nothing is changing with our staffing,” Fedell said. “The only difference is we’ll be Isle of Capri employees on June 9.”

Isle of Capri operates under two main brands, including their self-titled casinos and Lady Luck casinos. Isle representatives have said they believe Rainbow would best fit into the Lady Luck brand. Fedell said no final decision on branding has yet been made.

Bally officials have said the company is selling Rainbow to focus on its “core business” — designing, manufacturing, operating and distributing gaming devices, including slot machines, as well as systems and technology related to casino operations. Along with the sale, Bally also announced a new deal with Isle of Capri to provide games and technology for all 15 Isle properties.

The purchase of Rainbow will mark Isle of Capri’s return to the Vicksburg market. The St. Louis-based company opened Vicksburg’s first casino in 1993 at 3990 Washington St. In 2006, it sold the casino to Legends Gaming, which re-branded it DiamondJacks Casino.

No operational changes have been made since the sale was announced, and Fedell said Rainbow customers enrolled in the casino’s rewards program don’t have to worry about losing any benefits.

The sale has already been approved by both Bally and Isle of Capri.

Thursday’s action by the gaming commission at its monthly meeting amounted to a final formality in the casino sale, said Mississippi Gaming Commission Deputy Director Allen Godfrey.

“The items on the agenda today were statutory requirements, but in the big picture, what happened was Isle of Capri bought (Rainbow Casino),” he said.