Louisiana’s December Gaming Revenue Reflects Mixed Sector Performance

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board announced that statewide gaming revenue for December reached $203.5 million, reflecting a 3% decrease compared to December 2023. While the New Orleans district stood out with an increase in revenue, most regions reported year-over-year declines. Revenue from online sports betting also took a notable hit, generating $35.5 million—a sharp 32% drop—despite a 5% rise in the total handle, which amounted to $362 million.

Lake Charles District Leads Despite Significant Decline

Lake Charles remained the state’s highest-earning district, producing $73.3 million in total gaming revenue for December. However, this figure represented an 11.8% year-over-year decline. The district’s major contributors also saw reduced figures:

• Golden Nugget Lake Charles recorded $27.4 million, down 11.8% from November.
• L’Auberge Casino Resort reported $25.5 million, reflecting a 9.3% year-over-year decrease.
• Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel posted revenue of $13.3 million, a drop of 6.2%.

New Orleans: A Positive Exception

Contrary to other districts, New Orleans properties experienced notable growth, with combined revenue of $53.2 million, marking a 12.3% year-over-year increase.

• Caesars New Orleans, the state’s sole land-based casino, achieved $25.4 million, showing a modest 2.6% increase compared to December 2023.
• Treasure Chest Casino, which transitioned to a land-based venue in June, brought in $12.1 million, an impressive 73% rise.
• Boomtown Casino & Hotel also experienced a minor improvement, generating $9.7 million, up 0.4%.

Revenue Dips Across Other Districts

The Shreveport-Bossier City district reported $48.3 million in revenue, a decline of 5.3%. Its leading properties fared as follows:

• Margaritaville Resort Casino saw revenue drop 4.5% to $15.8 million.
• Horseshoe Bossier City posted $13.2 million, down 4%.
• Bally’s Shreveport Casino & Hotel recorded $9.1 million, marking a 7.7% decline.

In Baton Rouge, revenue fell slightly by 1.7% to $22 million. Among key properties:

• L’Auberge Casino Hotel Baton Rouge led the district with $14 million, down 6.6%.
• The Queen of Baton Rouge earned $7.4 million, reflecting an 8.8% increase.
• Belle of Baton Rouge brought in $700,000, a small decline of 0.5%.

Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino in St. Landry Parish generated $6.6 million, a minimal decline of 0.3% compared to the previous year.

Mixed Results in Other Gaming Sectors

Louisiana’s video gaming devices achieved $63.7 million in net revenue, a year-over-year increase of 1.5%. This improvement was driven primarily by truck stops, which contributed $47.1 million, a rise of 1.4%. Meanwhile, revenue from bars grew by 4.7%, reaching $9.46 million. However, hotels faced challenges, with their revenue dropping 11.2% year-over-year.

Riverboat casinos generated $151.7 million in adjusted gross revenue, a slight decrease from November’s $151.8 million and down 8.1% compared to December 2023. For the fiscal year to date, these riverboats have produced $852.7 million, remitting $183.3 million in state fees.

Sports Betting and Fantasy Sports Decline

The combined handle for retail and mobile sports betting in December reached $390.7 million, reflecting a 3.6% increase year-over-year. However, net proceeds fell by 38.1% to $34.5 million. Taxes collected from sports betting totaled $6.4 million, a decline of 15.1%.

Fantasy sports contests generated gross revenues of $2.4 million in December. After deductions, net revenues stood at $285,924, contributing $22,874 in state taxes.

Source:

“Louisiana: Gaming revenue slightly decreases in December”, cdcgaming.com, January 17, 2025.