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According to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board’s (LGCB) latest report, revenue from all sources of gambling in April showed year-over-year and a month-over-month decline. The LGCB’s monthly analysis includes revenue from:
- Louisiana’s riverboat casinos
- The state’s lone land-based casino, Harrah’s New Orleans
- Racetracks with slot machines
- Video gaming terminals
- LA online sportsbooks and retail locations
Louisiana online casinos are illegal, so the regulator does not report iGaming revenue numbers.
Key takeaways
- April revenue numbers represent a drop from March and April last year.
- Lake Charles licensees continue to dominate the market.
- Chances of Louisiana legalizing online casinos any time soon remain low.
LA riverboats, land-based casino and racinos show monthly and yearly decreases
After seeing strong March 2024 gaming revenue at Louisiana casinos, April revenue numbers declined month-over-month and year-over-year revenue. To be more precise:
- Louisiana’s 15 riverboat casinos collected $138.3M in adjusted gross revenue (a 16.8% monthly drop and an 8.3% annual drop)
- Harrah’s New Orleans land-based casino posted $19.3M (a 12.9% monthly decline and 9.4% less than last year)
- Racinos, horse tracks that offer betting on slot machines (Delta Downs, Louisiana Downs, Evangeline Downs and Fair Grounds), totaled $26.7M (a 17.1% monthly decrease and a 6.6% annual reduction)
One of the reasons for the monthly decline could be that March had one additional weekend compared to April. Otherwise, revenue declines are expected at this time of the year until the numbers start to climb again in the fall.
Lake Charles licensees dominate the market
According to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board’s April 2024 report, these were the most successful LA riverboat casinos in April:
- Golden Nugget Lake Charles: $24.6 million
- La’Auberge Lake Charles: $23.7 million
- Margaritaville: $15.3 million
- La’Auberge Baton Rouge: $14.6 million
- Boomtown N.O.: $10.2 million
Lake Charles casinos have once again collectively reported significantly higher revenue than other regions (nearly $55 million).
While all 15 riverboat casinos reported a monthly revenue decrease, The Queen Baton Rouge and Sam’s Town (Shreveport/Bossier) were the only places showing a yearly increase.
Will Louisiana online casinos be legal in the future?
Online casinos are always a possibility in states that offer gambling in legal land-based casinos as well as online sports betting. However, the probability of online casinos launching in Louisiana soon is low, as lawmakers aren’t considering any bills of that nature.
US online casinos are only available in seven states, with Pennsylvania and Michigan being the most lucrative markets. Online casinos are also legal in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
