Horseshoe Lake Charles Casino, Formerly Isle of Capri, Reopening Soon

Posted on: October 26, 2022, 01:35h. 

Last updated on: October 26, 2022, 01:51h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Horseshoe Lake Charles will open its doors on Dec. 12, 2022.

Horseshoe Lake Charles Isle of Capri Louisiana casino
Caesars Entertainment, pending regulatory approval from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, plans to open its new Horseshoe Lake Charles casino and resort on Dec. 12, 2022. The property is the former Isle of Capri Lake Charles. (Image: Caesars Entertainment)

Formerly the Isle of Capri Lake Charles, the Louisiana riverboat closed in August 2020 after suffering considerable damage from Hurricane Laura. Plans, however, were already in the works to move the riverboat ashore.

Louisiana lawmakers in 2018 allowed casino riverboats to move inland, so long as they remained within 1,200 feet — roughly a quarter of a mile — from their original barges. In December 2019, Eldorado Resorts, which at the time owned the Isle of Capri riverboat, was given state approval to build and open a new casino on land at a cost of $112.7 million.

Hurricane Laura, followed by Eldorado’s $17.3 billion decision to merge with Caesars and paired with a pandemic, resulted in the Lake Charles casino remaining closed for more than two years.

The new Caesars Entertainment, formed through the Eldorado merger that was formally executed just days before Hurricane Laura, brought the Isle of Capri into its portfolio. The company has since decided to rebrand the Lake Charles casino to Horseshoe Lake Charles.

December Opening

The Isle of Capri’s December 2019 announcement to move inland to a new brick-and-mortar casino was originally slated to welcome guests in May 2021. Hurricane Laura, the merger, and the pandemic pushed back that target date.

The new Caesars subsequently expanded the relocation Isle of Capri project to include a refreshing of all 253 hotel guestrooms. The company has also since opted to rename the casino to its Horseshoe brand.

When we closed the Isle of Capri in 2020, we were not expecting the property to be shut down for this length of time,” said Anthony Carano, president and COO of Caesars Entertainment. “But we couldn’t be prouder of our team and all of the hard work they’ve put into this beautiful property.”

Horseshoe Lake Charles features a 60,000-square-foot casino floor, with nearly 1,000 slot machines and table game positions, an official World Series of Poker Room, and a Caesars Sportsbook.

A brewpub, noodle bar, and pizzeria will open in conjunction with the casino’s December 12 unveiling. A Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins, plus a Gordon Ramsay Steak restaurant, are set to open next year at Horseshoe Lake Charles.

Lake Charles Market Share

Lake Charles, come mid-December, will return to being a three-casino town. The market is currently dominated by the Golden Nugget and L’Auberge casinos. That was the case even when Isle was operational.

During the state’s 2018-19 fiscal year, the last full 12-month period Isle operated, the casino generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of just shy of $100 million. Golden Nugget led the Lake Charles gaming market that year with more than $319.6 million in gaming income. L’Auberge was a close second at $311.1 million.

Caesars hopes leveraging the Horseshoe brand, which dates back to the early 1950s when Benny Binion opened his Horseshoe casino in downtown Las Vegas, will allow the new casino to better compete with the Nugget and L’Auberge.

“After being closed for more than two years, to reopen as a Horseshoe casino is the cherry on top of a pretty spectacular celebration,” commented Jeff Favre, senior vice president and general manager of Horseshoe Lake Charles.