Louisiana casinos rack up us$ 215 million in winnings in August

2013-09-23

Reading time 1:36 min

(US).- Louisiana's state-licensed casinos made us$ 215 million from gamblers last month. The August winnings were on par with July figures, but were up 14 % on last year’s earnings of us$ 188 million, when two fewer riverboat casinos were operating.

Since then, new casinos in the Shreveport and Baton Rouge markets have opened - Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City and L'Auberge Baton Rouge - and they brought in us$ 25 million combined last month. The figures, compiled by state police, were presented Thursday to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. L’Auberge Baton Rouge casino pulled in us$ 15.3 million in August, once again accounting for more than half the revenue in the metro-area casino market.

Across the state, the mix of riverboat, land-based and race track casinos brought in us$ 2.5 million more than the us$ 212.6 million taken from gamblers in July and us$ 27 million more than the us$ 188 million they collected in August 2012.

Gamblers lost the most on average in August at Horseshoe Bossier City, Treasure Chest Casino in Kenner and L'Auberge Baton Rouge, along with the Delta Downs race track casino.

The state's only land-based casino, Harrah's in downtown New Orleans, had a strong month, winning us$ 27.9 million from gamblers in August, a 22 percent jump from the same month a year earlier and a 10 percent growth from the us$ 25.4 million collected in July.

Louisiana's four race tracks took in a combined us$ 33.5 million from gamblers, nearly 4 percent more than collected a year earlier and only slightly less than the us$ 33.7 million lost by gamblers at the facilities in July. Meanwhile, the state's 14 riverboat casinos brought in us$ 153.7 million last month, up 16 percent from August 2012. By comparison, gamblers at the riverboats lost us$ 153.6 million in July, virtually no change.

Among Louisiana's casino markets:

-In Shreveport-Bossier City, the area's six riverboats won us$ 61.3 million, while the Louisiana Downs track casino took in us$ 5.6 million.

-The Lake Charles market's two riverboat casinos brought in us$ 45.5 million, while the area's Delta Downs track casino won us$ 16.3 million.

-In the New Orleans area, gamblers lost us$ 18 million at the riverboat casinos and us$ 3.8 million at the Fair Grounds race track casino.

-Baton Rouge's three riverboats won us$ 24.3 million.

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