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Following a slow July, Louisiana land-based, riverboat and race-track casinos finished August on fire. Revenue rose 7.7% from $178.9 million in July to $192.7 million this past month, according to the latest revenue figures from the Louisiana Control Board.
Five of the state’s 14 riverboat casinos saw double-digit growth.
Online casinos are illegal in Louisiana, so they aren’t included in the state’s monthly revenue reports.
Key takeaways
- Online casinos are a gold mine for revenue but have yet to be legalized.
- Louisiana casino revenue jumped 7.7% in August.
- Riverboat casinos led the way with an 8.2% spike in win.
Louisiana could be a top-five online casino market
Louisiana continues to support a robust casino market, with revenue on track to pass $200 million by the end of the year. While that number is sizeable, it could be much bigger if online casinos were legal.
Based on PlayUSA’s projections, the state could’ve brought in over $75 million in iGaming revenue in July (the last month that all seven iGaming states reported revenue):
| July online casino revenue | Population | Per-capita revenue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $215.4 million | 13 million | $16.65 |
| Michigan | $195.4 million | 9.3 million | $20.65 |
| New Jersey | $191.4 million | 10 million | $19.86 |
| Connecticut | $41.7 million | 3.6 million | $12.86 |
| West Virginia | $20 million | 1.8 million | $9.94 |
| Delaware | $6 million | 1 million | $3.90 |
| Rhode Island | $2.6 million | 1.1 million | $2.09 |
| Average | $96.1 million | 5.7 million | $16.86 |
| Louisiana (projected) | $75.9 million | 4.5 million | $16.86 |
Yet while Louisiana casino operators are missing out on tens of millions in iGaming revenue, that may not be the case for much longer. Next month, the Louisiana Senate Committee will launch a study of online casinos.
They’ll analyze the pros, cons and best practices needed for Louisiana online casinos. Their findings are due in March.
If the study’s findings are positive, we could have legislators file and approve an iGaming bill next year. Gaming operators will certainly want to chime in during the process.
Operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and Fanatics already have online sportsbooks in Louisiana. They will likely support iGaming, as each brand runs online casinos in other states.
Horseshoe Bossier City leads riverboat casinos with 81.5% growth
In August, 14 of Louisiana’s 19 gaming properties posted positive revenue growth. Riverboat casinos led the way with a combined 8.2% increase over July.
Horseshoe Bossier City was the star of the riverboat group, enjoying an 81.5% increase in August. Belle of Baton Rouge, L’Auberge Lake Charles, Golden Nugget Lake Charles, and Amelia Belle Casino rounded out the group of riverboat casinos with double-digit growth.
| Casino | July 2024 | June 2024 | % Change (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Nugget Lake Charles | $25,630,781 | $23,235,522 | 10.3% |
| L'Auberge Lake Charles | $25,977,098 | $23,235,797 | 11.8% |
| Margaritaville Resort Casino | $14,497,994 | $14,315,615 | 1.3% |
| L'Auberge Baton Rouge | $13,201,079 | $12,381,431 | 6.6% |
| Treasure Chest | $12,366,835 | $12,485,215 | -0.9% |
| Boomtown New Orleans | $8,454,036 | $8,470,487 | -0.2% |
| Bally's Shreveport | $8,134,230 | $8,258,799 | -1.5% |
| The Queen Baton Rouge | $6,821,144 | $7,013,912 | -2.7% |
| Horseshoe Lake Charles | $5,715,918 | $7,753,321 | -26.3% |
| Horseshoe Bossier City | $15,645,652 | $8,618,671 | 81.5% |
| Boomtown Bossier | $3,833,725 | $3,707,231 | 3.4% |
| Sam's Town | $3,566,441 | $3,536,809 | 0.8% |
| Amelia Belle | $2,842,231 | $2,584,348 | 10.0% |
| Belle of Baton Rouge | $571,801 | $482,370 | 18.5% |
| Total | $147,304,470 | $136,125,002 | 8.2% |
Louisiana’s racinos surge in August with across-the-board increases
The state’s four racinos (horse tracks with slot machines) all had increases in revenue in August, combining for a 5.8% increase over July. Delta Downs led the way with a 9.5% increase, good for around $1.2 million more in win this past month.
| July 2024 | June 2024 | % Change (Monthly) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Downs | $14,001,850 | $12,789,099 | 9.5% |
| Louisiana Downs | $3,190,917 | $3,166,872 | 0.8% |
| Evangeline Downs | $6,206,844 | $6,117,584 | 1.5% |
| Fair Grounds | $3,106,178 | $2,989,278 | 3.9% |
| Total | $26,505,789 | $25,062,833 | 5.8% |
Harrah’s New Orleans up more than $1 million for the month
Rounding out the state’s excellent August was Harrah’s New Orleans, the sole land-based casino in Louisiana.
The property posted $18.9 million in August revenue, up from $17.7 million in July. The rise in revenue was good enough for a 6.7% monthly and 5.2% year-on-year increase.
