Summer, new casino boost gaming revenue in Louisiana

Alan Sayre

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005 | 9:46 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS -- With the summer vacation season in full swing and a new casino resort open near the Texas border, Louisiana's state-licensed casinos won $217.7 million from gamblers last month, state police reported Tuesday.

With one less casino, the gambling outlets took in $200.6 million in July 2004.

July marked a second straight strong performance by Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.'s L'Auberge Du Lac resort that opened in Lake Charles in late May. That riverboat won $19.7 million in July, following $20.4 million in June.

The Lake Charles market, which also includes four other riverboats and the slot-machine casino at Delta Downs, won $60.2 million from gamblers in July, up sharply from $43.2 million in July 2004.

The other market that feeds off Texas gamblers, Shreveport-Bossier City, saw a drop in winnings. A year ago in July, the five riverboats and the slot casino at Louisiana Downs just missed taking in $80 million. Last month's revenue totaled $76.2 million.

Shreveport-Bossier City has seen recent competition from an Indian reservation casino in Oklahoma that is a closer drive from Dallas-Fort Worth, its primary feeder region.

In the New Orleans market, which includes Harrah's downtown casino and three riverboats, gamblers lost $55.5 million, virtually the same as $55.2 million in July 2004. Harrah's won $29.5 million, compared with the year-ago figure of $28.9 million.

The two riverboats in Baton Rouge won $17.4 million, up from $16.4 million in July 2004.

The Evangeline Downs slot casino at Opelousas claimed $7.9 million in winnings, up from $5.8 million in July 2004 before horse racing began at the new facility.

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