Louisiana Casinos See Falloff in Overall June Gaming Wins

Posted on: July 18, 2021, 11:12h. 

Last updated on: July 18, 2021, 04:10h.

Larry Henry Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Gaming Business, Legislation, Politics, Regulation.

Louisiana’s casinos won less money in June than the previous month, with lower net win totals reported in all parts of the boot-shaped state.

Harrah's New Orleans
A lighted sign at Harrah’s New Orleans illuminates the sky outside the land-based resort. The casino reported lower month-to-month gaming wins in June. (Image: nola.com)

In June, the state’s casinos won $221.6 million, or 2.9 percent less than May’s win total of $228.2 million, according to The Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge.

Louisiana is home to 13 riverboat casinos, one land-based casino in New Orleans, and four racinos. The main gambling hubs are New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles in South Louisiana, and the Shreveport-Bossier City area in the northwestern corner.

Some of the steepest declines came in the New Orleans area. The land-based Harrah’s hotel-casino downtown near the Mississippi River went from $26.8 million in net wins in May to $24.6 million in June. That represents a decline in month-to-month winnings of 8.1 percent.

The Treasure Chest Casino in Kenner also saw an 8.1 percent decline in winnings, from $9.2 million to $8.4 million. The riverboat casino is northwest of downtown New Orleans on Lake Pontchartrain.

In June, the southern part of the state felt the impact of Tropical Storm Claudette, which hammered the area with strong winds and heavy rainfall. The deadly storm made landfall along the Louisiana coast on June 19. The hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. 

The northern part of the state also experienced lower casino win totals in June. The sharpest decline statewide occurred in Bossier City, where the Horseshoe riverboat casino’s winning plunged by 23.5 percent, from $17.6 million in May to $13.5 million in June.

Casino Wins Reported

Some casinos saw an increase in June gaming wins compared to the previous month.

L’Auberge, a riverboat casino in Lake Charles, had the largest percentage increase in the state, up 18.9 percent. It went from $27.3 million in May to $34.5 million in June.

Hollywood Casino in Baton Rouge also fared well, up 4.6 percent from $5.7 million to $6 million, The Advocate reported. Hollywood is a riverboat casino on the Mississippi River near the state Capitol building.

New Gaming Revenue Stream 

Louisiana casinos are anticipating a new revenue stream in the coming months when sports betting is implemented.

Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) recently signed legislation to legalize sports betting on mobile devices, such as smartphones, and at sportsbooks inside casinos. People also will be able to place bets on kiosks at bars and restaurants that serve alcohol.

Though sports betting is legal, bettors can’t put money down on live athletic events yet. The state Gaming Control Board still has to establish the rules to regulate the industry. This process is expected to last until early 2022, according to some state officials. When that happens, sports betting will be legal in the 55 of 64 parishes where voters approved it in last November’s election.

Late last week, DraftKings became the first company licensed to operate daily fantasy sports betting in Louisiana. Fantasy sports differ from live-game sports betting in that participants select an imaginary team of real players and compile their actual game stats for a total score. That fantasy score is matched against other participants to determine a cash-prize winner. The games are operational in the state.