February was the last full month before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Louisiana and the rest of the U.S. From then until March, when gaming venues began closing, gaming revenue dropped 53 percent in the state.
Compared to $44.7 million in July 2019, gambling revenue in the New Orleans market fell 20.1 percent to $35.7 million in July, the first full month gaming venues reopened since closing due to Covid-19, according to Louisiana Gaming Control Board figures. The market includes three riverboats, Harrah’s New Orleans land-based casino and the Fair Grounds racino.
The state’s 14 riverboat casinos, Harrah’s New Orleans and four racinos brought in $177.6 million in July, down 12.2 percent from $202.3 million generated in July 2019. Those numbers included a 15th riverboat, DiamondJacks in Bossier City, which has closed.
Revenue at the 14 riverboat casinos totaled $137 million in July, a drop of 10.3 percent from $152.8 million in July 2019. Golden Nugget Lake Charles led with $27.6 million in July, down 1.2 percent compared to July 2019.
Regarding the three New Orleans-area riverboat casinos, revenue fell 5.3 percent to $19.6 million, compared to $20.7 million in July 2019. Boomtown New Orleans posted $10 million in July, a 13.5 percent increase over $8.8 million the previous year. Treasure Chest revenue dropped 16.3 percent from $8.4 million to $7 million. And revenue at the Amelia Belle fell by 26.1 percent from $3.5 million to $2.6 million.
The three Baton Rouge riverboats actually brought in more money in July compared to July 2019, with $19 million compared to $18.1 million. L’Auberge Baton Rouge was up 12.5 percent from $11.6 million to $13 million. Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge, which announced plans to move onto land in February 2022, posted $4.4 million for the month, a 1.3 percent increase from $4.3 million last year. Revenue at the Belle of Baton Rouge declined 28.6 percent from $2.2 million to $1.5 million.
In other Louisiana casino markets, Lake Charles reported a 5.1 percent drop in revenue from $75.6 million to $71.8 million. Acadiana, home of the slots at Evangeline Downs, fell 12.2 percent from $6.7 million to $5.9 million. And Shreveport-Bossier City, where DiamondJacks closed, declined by 20.8 percent from $57.3 million to $45.3 million.
Revenue at Harrah’s New Orleans, the state’s only land-based casino, decreased by 36.3 percent compared to July 2019, from $20.4 million to $13 million.
One bright spot was video poker revenue, which increased 25.5 percent, from $49.9 million in July 2019 to $62.7 million in July 2020. This increase happened despite orders from Governor John Bel Edwards and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell to shut down bars in July to fight COVID-19. Revenue from machines at bars and restaurants fell by more than 50 percent–but the state’s truck stops, with 7,529 machines (more than half of the state’s total), produced a revenue increase of 42 percent and racetrack OTBs delivered a 37.6 percent uptick.
Louisiana’s four racinos posted a total of $27.6 million in July, down 5.2 percent from July 2019. Delta Downs in Vinton was the leader with $15 million, only a 1.6 percent decrease compared to last year.
The slots at the Fair Grounds reported a 12.7 percent decrease from $3.5 million to $3.1 million.
