Louisiana state casinos win $178.9 million

Brett Martel

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004 | 9:13 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS -- Louisiana's state-licensed casinos won $178.9 million from gamblers in October, up from $163.4 million in October 2003, state police reported Tuesday.

The 14 riverboat casinos won $126.7 million, up from $124.1 million in October 2003. The downtown New Orleans casino won $28.6 million, up from $24.3 million a year ago.

Slot machine casinos at race tracks took in $23.6 million from gamblers in October, up from $14.9 million in October 2003, when there were only two such gambling outlets. The new Evangeline Downs at Opelousas opened its casino in December 2003.

In Shreveport-Bossier City, the five dockside casinos and the slot machine race track at Louisiana Downs won $67.9 million in October, compared with $64.9 million in October 2003.

In Lake Charles, the pair of two-boat complexes and the Delta Downs slot casino won $37.2 million in October, up from $36 million a year ago.

In the New Orleans market, which includes the downtown casino and three riverboats, gamblers lost $52.6 million, up from $47.8 million in October 2003.

In Baton Rouge, two riverboats won $15.7 million in October, compared with $14.6 million a year ago.

The slot casino at the new Evangeline Downs in Opelousas won $5.5 million last month.

The figures do not include the state's three Indian reservation casinos, which are not required to publicly report their winnings.