In August, Louisiana casinos announced a 12% rise in gaming revenue compared to the previous year. The retail and mobile sports betting activities of the casinos primarily drove the increase. 

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB) announced that revenue from commercial casinos reached around $191.5 million in the previous month. The gross gaming revenue (GGR) from slot machines and table games reached $166.1 million, reflecting a 7.9% rise, or an increase of $12.1 million. 

Oddsmakers retained $25.4 million from the over $234.5 million in wagers placed both online and in person. Most of the activity — $218 million — was conducted online. The sports betting intake reflected a 49.5% increase in August 2023. The sportsbook revenue boosted August’s statewide GGR to around $20.5 million compared to last year. 

August was essential following the decline in state casino revenue compared to the previous year in April, June, and July. 

Robust Sports Wagering Month 

Last month, oddsmakers in Louisiana did quite well, mainly due to state bettors placing parlay bets. Parlays occur when a gambler merges two or more bets into one single wager. The wagers offer increased odds but also bigger rewards. 

Regrettably for the public, last month favored the house. Sportsbooks indicated that parlays made up over $14.4 million of the $25.4 million earned by oddsmakers. 

Football made up $3.3 million, while baseball wagers resulted in GGR of $2.3 million. Basketball generated revenue of only $208K. 

Bets on golf, boxing, and various other sports contributed to $4.5 million of the sportsbook earnings. 

Every Market Shows Increases 

Every gaming market in Louisiana that was monitored — Lake Charles, Shreveport/Bossier City, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge — experienced an increase in GGR last month. The figures below do not account for sports wagering and include revenue solely from slots and table games. 

Lake Charles, the wealthiest casino market in the state, experienced a 2% increase in gaming revenue, reaching $57.3 million. L’Auberge topped the rally with a GGR rise of nearly 12% to $26 million. 

The Penn Entertainment property successfully overtook Golden Nugget in the western Louisiana casino town, where GGR increased by 1.6% to reach $25.6 million. Caesars Entertainment's Horseshoe is still facing challenges in Lake Charles. GGR at the new physical venue decreased by more than 26% to a mere $5.7 million. 

In Lake Charles, tourists from nearby Texas primarily lodge at the Golden Nugget or L'Auberge, whether in the hotels' accommodations or within the expansive RV lots that the casinos offer. 

In Shreveport/Bossier, GGR increased by 13% to reach $45.7 million, which is a variation of $5.3 million. Horseshoe dominated the market with $15.6 million. 

Next year, Shreveport/Bossier will welcome its sixth casino with Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana launches. The Cordish Companies is committing $270 million to transform the old Diamond Jacks complex into a land-based casino resort. 

The New Orleans market ranked third with a GGR of $41.4 million, reflecting a 14% rise from the previous year. Harrah’s New Orleans, a physical establishment, saw a 5% increase to $18.9 million. The city's three riverboats — Amelia Belle, Boomtown, and Treasure Chest — announced a 29% increase to $23.6 million. 

The recently launched land-based Treasure Chest, which opened in Kenner in June, boosted the riverboat scene in the Big Easy, with the casino earning nearly $6.8 million, an increase of 83%. 

The three casinos in Baton Rouge generated $20.6 million, an increase of 8%. L’Auberge ranked as the highest property among the three casinos in the capital city, generating $13.2 million.