Slots at racetracks hurting riverboats, report says

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002 | 10:55 a.m.

Louisiana's state-licensed casinos won $173.5 million in August as the state's first slot-machine gambling hall at a race track fueled big growth in southwestern Louisiana -- at the expense of that area's riverboats.

According to a state police report released Tuesday, the Lake Charles casino market took in $40.3 million last month, 15.5 percent more than $34.9 million won from gamblers in August 2001.

But the pair of two-boat casino complexes in Lake Charles, which compete with Delta Downs at Vinton, saw their winnings drop 17.6 percent from $34.9 million in August 2001 to $28.8 million last month as the track casino took in $11.6 million. The market also includes an Indian reservation casino at Kinder that does not publicly reports its revenue figures.

Overall, August's statewide take was virtually unchanged from July. A year ago, the casinos won $169.4 million. Delta Downs did not open its slot-machine casino until February 2002.

The five riverboat casinos in the Shreveport-Bossier City market, which also draw heavily from Texas, won $72.3 million last month, virtually unchanged from the previous month and August 2001.

The three riverboats in the New Orleans market won $23.5 million in August, down 4.4 percent from $24.5 million in July and down 23.8 percent from $24.4 million in August 2001. Harrah's New Orleans land casino won $22.5 million last month, down 4.5 percent from $23.6 million in July, but up 2.1 percent from $22.1 million in August 2001.

The two riverboats in Baton Rouge won $15 million last month, almost unchanged from July, and down 1.3 percent from $15.2 million in August 2001.