November winnings up a bit for Louisiana casinos

The riverboats won us$ 124.3 million, Harrah's won us$ 27.8 million and the track casinos collected us$ 28.5 million. After taking double-digit drops in year-to-year revenue figures during 2009, the casino business has experienced at least a slight rebound recently in Louisiana. Competition has stiffened from Indian nation casinos in Oklahoma, which affect Shreveport-Bossier City's six outlets, and the overall slow economy is blamed by the industry for keeping players away nationwide.

Still, three companies have applied for Louisiana's 15th and final riverboat gambling license allowed by law and Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. is developing a us$ 357 million riverboat casino-hotel project in Baton Rouge. Two of the proposals would place the casino in Lake Charles, while the third would bring it to the New Orleans suburb of Harvey.

Mixed signals are coming from other casino states. In October, Nevada posted casinos an 11 % increase over the same month a year ago. In Mississippi, October casino revenue dropped just a tad. New Jersey, which is facing intense competition from Pennsylvania, saw Atlantic City casino revenue in November drop 12.5 %.

Recently, American Gaming Association head Frank Fahrenkopf said gambling revenue in state-licensed casinos rose 1.3 %— or to just over us$ 8 billion — from the second quarter to the third quarter of 2010. But that's still about us$ 100 million less than casinos took in during the same period last year. Fahrenkopf blamed that on reduced discretionary spending by consumers.

Among the state's casino markets:

— The Shreveport-Bossier City market, which caters to Texas gamblers with five riverboats and the Louisiana Downs track casino, took in us$ 55.2 million in November, down from us$ 57 million in November 2009.

— The other Texas-oriented market, Lake Charles, saw three riverboats and the Delta Downs race track win us$ 48.8 million last month, up from the year-ago figure of us$ 46.6 million.

— In the New Orleans market, the land casino, two suburban riverboats and the Fair Grounds track casino won us$ 51.7 million last month, up from us$ 50.5 million in November 2009.

— The two riverboats in the Baton Rouge market won us$ 14.5 million last month, dropping slightly from us$ 14.6 million in November 2009.

— The lone riverboat near Morgan City won us$ 3.7 million from gamblers last month, an increase from us$ 3.3 million in November 2009.

— The Evangeline Downs track casino at Opelousas won us$ 6.7 million in November, a drop from the year-ago figure of us$ 7 million.

In October, Louisiana casinos won us$ 196.7 million, up slightly from us$ 193.3 million in October 2009.

The figures do not include the three Indian reservation casinos in Louisiana, which are not required to report their winnings to the public.