Boosting Revenues: Louisiana Considers Upsizing Casino Operations?

SHREVEPORT, LA - Casinos in Louisiana are struggling to keep up with competition from casinos in Oklahoma and other forms of gambling in other areas in our region.

The casinos in Oklahoma are much larger than the casinos in Shreveport and Bossier City. They typically have bigger hotels and more amenities to attract visitors. These casinos are bringing in thousands of visitors from the lucrative Dallas Fort Worth market.

How Can Louisiana Compete?

Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns tells us it might be time for lawmakers in the Bayou State to look at letting our casinos be larger so they can be more competitive. Johns says "that's up to the Legislature and is not a function of the Gaming Control Board. But my recommendation would be is what can the market bear."  Johns says he would not recommend expansion of gambling in terms of more casinos. He says "15 riverboat licenses is plenty for Louisiana."

Does Louisiana Have too Many Casinos?

Johns says "we actually may have too many casinos. He says we've got some very small properties: "The Belle of Baton Rouge and the Amelia Belle down in the Houma Thibodaux area are very small." He says building larger land based properties may drive the market.

 What Is One of the Biggest Concerns in the Casino Industry?

Texas will have casinos one day. Johns says "It's not coming tomorrow or in the next 3 or four years. But at some point it's gonna come and it's gonna drastically impact what's happening in Louisiana.

Are Gambling Dollars Growing?

EGR Global tracks gambling revenues across the nation and the numbers show huge growth in most regions in the U.S. Casinos brought in $66.5 billion in 2023. That's up 10% from $60.5 billion in 2022 when the industry started to bounce back from the pandemic. But gambling revenues in Louisiana have struggled.

How Did the Shreveport Bossier Casinos Do in January?

Horseshoe numbers are down by nearly 34%

Bally's revenues are down by 33%

Sam's Town posted a dip of nearly 25%.

Margaritaville revenues are down 22%.

Boomtown numbers dropped 17%.