Louisiana Casino Revenues Fall Slightly in April
May 17, 2016 11:24 amLouisiana’s casino market, consisting of 15 riverboats, 4 racinos, and Harrah’s land-based casino in New Orleans, posted revenues of $218.8 million in April, an amount 0.82% lower than the $220.6 million collected in April of 2015.
In April, the New Orleans market generated $51.8 million of the state’s gambling revenues, which was a 0.72% contraction versus the $52.2 million taken in the same month a year earlier. Breaking the figure down further, Harrah’s saw its business fall by 3.5% to $24.6 million in April, with the smoking ban blamed mostly for the negative trend which has resulted in the venue’s gaming revenues contracting in 11 out of the past 13 months. At least the establishment’s non-smokers appreciate the smoking ban, though, and as local resident Mike Pomes explains:
“It really feels good that I don’t have to breathe that air. I’d smell like an ash tray, and now it feels good that I can go home now and still feel clean and when I’m in the bar I don’t smell the smoke.”
Also experiencing shrinking revenues in the New Orleans area was the Fair Grounds, whose business fell by 12.5% at $3.1 million versus the $3.5 million it collected last April. The rest of New Orleans fared significantly better, though, with Amelia Belle revenues up 1.2% to $4.15 million; Boomtown up 2% to $10.2 million; and Treasure Chest up 1.9% to $9.1 million.
Elsewhere around Louisiana, the state’s biggest casino market, Lake Charles, consisting of 3 riverboats and the Delta Downs racino reported a 0.89% fall in revenues to $74.3 million. Also seeing their revenues slip in April was Shreveport-Bossier City, whose 6 riverboat casinos and Harrah’s slots racetrack generated 2.8% less revenues at $59.3 million; and the Opelousas market whose slots at Evangeline Downs were down 7.8% to $7.6 million.
Bucking the trend, however, was Baton Rouge which posted a 6.7% improvement in revenues to $25.7 million from its 3 riverboat casinos. As a result, Baton Rouge was the sole casino market in the Pelican State to see its revenues increase in April compared to a year earlier.