October Louisiana casino up

Last month, the riverboats took in us$ 135.7 million, the New Orleans land casino won us$ 29.6 million and the four slot casinos at race tracks won us$ 31.4 million. In September 2010, gamblers lost us$ 185.7 million.

"It's encouraging," said industry analyst Cory Morowitz of Galloway, New-Jersey.-based Morowitz Gaming Advisors. "It tells you the consumer may be seeing some recovery, albeit a weak recovery. That of itself is encouraging. It fits with the overall economic situation."

The two markets that depend heavily on players from Texas - Shreveport-Bossier City and Lake Charles - were a mixed bag. The five riverboats and the Louisiana Downs casino that make up Shreveport-Bossier city won us$ 62.8 million last month, up from us$ 58.6 million in October 2009. But the take was about even in the Lake Charles market - with three riverboats and the Delta Downs track casino. Those outlets took in us$ 51.3 million last month, a slight drop from us$ 52.9 million in October 2009.

In New Orleans, two riverboats, the land casino and the Fair Grounds casino won us$ 55.6 million in October, a bit more than the us$ 54.5 million take in October 2009. Harrah's won us$ 29.6 million, a drop from the year-ago total of us$ 30.7 million.

The two riverboats in Baton Rouge won us$ 15.3 million, down from us$ 15.9 million in October 2009. The lone riverboat near Morgan City won us$ 4.4 million, a boost from the year-ago total of us$ 3.8 million. The Evangeline Downs track casino at Opelousas took in us$ 7.3 million, a dip from the October 2009 take of us$ 7.6 million.