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While most of the country’s gaming markets struggled in February, Louisiana enjoyed month-on-month gains. That growth continued in March.
Riverboat casinos posted $166.3 million in adjusted gross revenue. Meanwhile, land-based casinos posted $22.2 million and racinos (horse tracks with slot gaming) totaled $32.2 million. These figures represent growth over February’s numbers.
Louisiana online casinos are illegal, so there are no iGaming revenue numbers.
Key takeaways:
- Legal Louisiana online casinos could generate over $80 million in a good month.
- In March, racinos and casinos generated over $200 million in revenue from casino gaming.
- Racinos posted positive monthly and annual gains.
- Casino revenue will likely decline through the spring and summer.
Are Louisiana online casinos a possibility?
Online casinos are always possible in states with legal brick-and-mortar casinos and online sports betting. That being said the probability of online casinos going live in Louisiana any time soon is low.
The state is relatively new to online gambling, in general. It didn’t launch online sports betting until January 2022. And, generally speaking, online casinos aren’t the standard anywhere except in Michigan and the northeastern United States (including West Virginia).
Additionally, online gaming is a hard sell for any state between Texas and Florida. Mississippi is a hub for casino gaming but has no online casinos. Florida has online sports betting but no online casinos. Alabama and Georgia have no online gambling at all.
From a revenue perspective, it’s a shame that southern states hesitate to legalize online casinos. The top markets in the country generated tens of millions of dollars for state funds and programs. Here’s a snapshot of online casino revenue from seven states in March:
| State | March online casino revenue | Population (according to 2023 Census Bureau data) | Per-capita revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $233.1 million | 13 million | $17.93 |
| Michigan | $215.2 million | 10 million | $21.52 |
| New Jersey | $197.1 million | 9.3 million | $21.19 |
| Connecticut | $44.3 million | 3.6 million | $12.31 |
| West Virginia | $20.7 million | 1.8 million | $11.50 |
| Delaware | $4.6 million | 1 million | $4.60 |
| Average | $119.2 million | 6.5 million | $18.34 |
| Louisiana (projected) | $82.5 million | 4.5 million | $18.34 |
Based on March’s numbers, legal Louisiana online casinos could generate over $82.5 million in revenue in a good month. That would make Louisiana the fourth-biggest online casino market in the country based on March data.
Louisiana’s riverboats surge ahead in March but come up short year-on-year
Louisiana’s 14 riverboat casinos generated 16.3% more revenue in March than LA’s February 2024 gaming revenue: $166.3 million versus $143 million.
| Casino (Region) | March 2024 | February 2024 | % Change (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| L'Auberge Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge) | $16,087,034 | $14,919,478 | 7.83% |
| Horseshoe Bossier City (Shreveport/Bossier) | $11,644,228 | $10,497,532 | 10.92% |
| Boomtown New Orleans (New Orleans) | $11,457,538 | $10,729,197 | 6.79% |
| Bally's Shreveport (Shreveport/Bossier) | $10,100,094 | $9,387,525 | 7.59% |
| Boomtown Bossier (Shreveport/Bossier) | $5,158,453 | $4,043,086 | 27.59% |
| The Queen Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge) | $8,530,652 | $7,250,908 | 17.65% |
| Horseshoe Lake Charles (Lake Charles) | $8,472,055 | $6,342,432 | 33.58% |
| Treasure Chest (New Orleans) | $7,920,774 | $6,903,916 | 14.73% |
| Sam's Town (Shreveport/Bossier) | $4,113,135 | $3,556,797 | 15.64% |
| L'Auberge Lake Charles (Lake Charles) | $30,953,625 | $24,564,977 | 26.01% |
| Golden Nugget Lake Charles (Lake Charles) | $29,597,950 | $24,785,512 | 19.42% |
| Margaritaville Resort Casino (Shreveport/Bossier) | $18,176,603 | $16,728,615 | 8.66% |
| Amelia Belle (New Orleans) | $3,303,294 | $2,705,486 | 22.10% |
| Belle of Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge) | $752,148 | $629,162 | 19.55% |
| Total | $166,285,582 | $143,044,621 | 16.25% |
While the monthly numbers were positive for Bayou State casinos, AGR was down slightly year-on-year. In March 2023, casinos brought in around $300,000 more than they did this past month.
Racinos post positive monthly and annual numbers
The state’s four racinos brought in $32.2 million in AGR this past month, up around $4.5 million compared to February. The monthly racino growth of 16.2% was almost identical to riverboats.
Year on year, AGR was up 8.3%
| Track | March 2024 | February 2024 | % Change (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Downs | $16,436,083 | $14,118,305 | 16.4% |
| Louisiana Downs | $4,727,772 | $3,926,463 | 20.4% |
| Evangeline Downs | $6,981,815 | $6,117,143 | 14.1% |
| Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots | 4,041,163 | $3,548,685 | 13.9% |
| Total | $32,186,834 | $27,710,596 | 16.2% |
What’s ahead for Louisiana casinos?
Louisiana’s riverboat casinos and racinos will likely follow national revenue patterns over the next few months. AGR should drop steadily from April to July or August, then jump significantly in September. Numbers should stay high through the end of the year.
