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Louisiana casinos enjoyed an across-the-board increase in revenue in May, seeing numbers rise for riverboat casinos, racinos (horse tracks with slot machines), and the state’s lone land-based casino.
Overall, casino revenue hit $203.7 million, up 10.5% over April, according to data from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.
Key takeaways
- iGaming could bring Louisiana casinos more than $70 million in revenue.
- Casino revenue topped $200 million in May, up 10.5% compared to April.
- LA riverboat casinos drove May’s monthly improvement.
Don’t expect online casinos to come to the Bayou State anytime soon
The law hasn’t been kind to Louisiana casino customers who want gaming at home via iGaming. The state’s lawmakers have yet to make any significant pushes for online casinos, which isn’t surprising considering it took legislators a relatively long time to legalize sports betting following 2018’s titanic shift in national sports betting law.
Yet the fact that Louisiana hasn’t legalized online casinos is no surprise considering it’s located in the online gambling wasteland that is the South and Southwest. Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida have no online casinos, and just two states allow online sports betting.
Sadly, Louisiana and its fellow Banned Belt states are missing out on considerable revenue. PlayUSA projects Louisiana could generate $76.5M in revenue based on averages from the seven states that have legal, active online casino markets:
| State | April 2024 online casino revenue | Population (according to 2023 Census Bureau data) | Per-capita revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $212,212,613 | 13 million | $16.32 |
| Michigan | $193,804,749 | 10 million | $20.84 |
| New Jersey | $192,934,494 | 9.3 million | $19.29 |
| Connecticut | $42,584,721 | 3.6 million | $11.83 |
| West Virginia | $17,797,826 | 1.8 million | $9.89 |
| Delaware | $4,400,00 | 1 million | $4.40 |
| Average | $110,622,401 | 6.5 million | $17.02 |
| Louisiana (projected) | $76,590,000 | 4.5 million | $17.02 |
Louisiana riverboat casinos enjoy double-digit growth
The main driver of Louisiana’s casino success in May was the state’s 14 riverboat casinos, which saw revenue rise $16 million in May, or 11.8%, compared to April 2024 gaming revenue in LA. The month’s biggest movers were Golden Nugget Lake Charles (19.7%), Sam’s Town (17.9%), and L’Auberge Lake Charles (14.7%).
| Casino (Region) | May 2024 | April 2024 | % Change (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Nugget Lake Charles (Lake Charles) | $29,452,392 | $24,599,849 | 19.7% |
| L'Auberge Lake Charles (Lake Charles) | $27,236,152 | $23,740,487 | 14.7% |
| Margaritaville Resort Casino (Shreveport/Bossier) | $17,302,575 | $15,349,519 | 12.7% |
| L'Auberge Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge) | $14,597,754 | $14,580,532 | 0.1% |
| Boomtown New Orleans (New Orleans) | $11,429,899 | $10,160,401 | 12.5% |
| Horseshoe Bossier City (Shreveport/Bossier) | $10,487,220 | $11,644,228 | -9.9% |
| Bally's Shreveport (Shreveport/Bossier) | $9,287,482 | $8,513,079 | 9.1% |
| The Queen Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge) | $8,394,136 | $7,896,128 | 6.3% |
| Horseshoe Lake Charles (Lake Charles) | $7,429,185 | $6,658,161 | 11.6% |
| Treasure Chest (New Orleans) | $7,234,464 | $7,196,995 | 0.5% |
| Boomtown Bossier (Shreveport/Bossier) | $4,520,806 | $8,662,729 | -47.8% |
| Sam's Town (Shreveport/Bossier) | $3,770,321 | $3,196,608 | 17.9% |
| Amelia Belle (New Orleans) | $2,963,233 | $2,795,114 | 6.0% |
| Belle of Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge) | $607,555 | $631,282 | -3.8% |
| Total | $154,713,174 | $138,324,248 | 11.8% |
Racinos see $2.4 million gain in May
Louisiana’s four racinos combined for $29.1 million in revenue, up 8.9% over April’s total of $26.7 million. Delta Downs accounted for just under half of all revenue, pulling in $14.4 million.
Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots enjoyed a 25.7% jump over April.
| Track | May 2024 | April 2024 | % Change (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Downs | $14,402,829 | $13,663,958 | 5.4% |
| Evangeline Downs | $6,717,215 | $6,285,802 | 6.9% |
| Louisiana Downs | $4,208,014 | $3,760,952 | 11.9% |
| Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots | $3,723,461 | $2,962,668 | 25.7% |
| Total | $29,051,519 | $26,673,380 | 8.9% |
May revenue up slightly for Harrah’s New Orleans
Harrah’s New Orleans, the state’s only land-based casino, generated $20 million in revenue last month, up around $652,000 over April. Year-on-year, however, revenue was down around $1.8 million.
On the year, May’s numbers were right in the middle, beating out April and January but lagging behind February and March:
- February: $23,813,069
- March: $22,180,248
- May: $19,979,397
- April: $19,327,341
- January: $18,702,397
