Casinos news

Louisiana Casino Facilities Win $202.8 Million

On December 11th, 2007, despite adding two gaming establishments, the state of Louisiana's licensed casino facility on received ¼ more than last month compared with November 2006. Gamblers lost $202.8 million at the thirteen casino riverboats, the downtown New Orleans casino and the slot casino facilities at the four racing tracks. The money flowing into the casinos comes in part from the online gambling ban that has closed online casinos to the US.

In November 2006, twelve riverboats, Harrah's New Orleans and three casino racing tracks won $199.7 million. Two additional facilities have opened for business this year-the Amelia Belle riverboat casino facility near Morgan City and the New Orleans Fair Grounds casino facility-contributed the $5.8 million of the latest results.

Just last month, the riverboats won a total of $140.1 million while the land-based casinos in New Orleans won $32.6 million. The racing tracks won $30.1 million from the slot machines. There was very minimal change from the state's casino industry. The leveling of the profits of Louisiana's casino, together with the total tax take of the state, has been an ongoing pattern for the past year as the Mississippi Gulf Coast continues its rebound from Hurricane Katrina; it has now eleven casino facilities along its shoreline.

Through the month of October, those casinos had won a total of $1.1 billion for the year, compared with the $910.7 million for the first ten months of 2006, according to the data of the Mississippi Tax Commission.

In Shreveport-Bossier City, which has fiver riverboats casino and a slot casino at the Louisiana Down, won $65.3 million from players last month, just below the $65.4 million posted in November 2006. Lake Charles, the other gambling market that mostly relies on players from Texas, won $50.6 million last month, down from $51.8 million in November 2006.

That casino market has three riverboat casinos and the Delta Downs racing track casino. The New Orleans casino market, with two casino boats, the Harrah's and the Fair Grounds, won $56.5 million. Without the racing track casino, the market won a total of $55.2 million from players in November 2006.

The two riverboat casinos in Baton Rouge won $17.9 million, down from $18.9 million in November 2006. The Amelia Belle casino, which was not still open almost a year ago, won $4.2 million last month. The Evangeline Downs racing track casino at Opelousas won $8.4 million last month, improved from $8.3 million from the same period last year. Shreveport-Bossier City has also faced growing pressure from Indian owned casinos in Oklahoma that are closer to its prime Texas market of Dallas-Forthworth.

More competition is expected in the near future. Pinnacle Entertainment Incorporated is building a second riverboat in Lake Charles where the organization's L'Auberge Du Lac resort won $24.6 million just last month.

 

12/25/2007 07:20 PM
Ann Pettersson