Following the effects of Hurricane Ida, casinos in New Orleans collected less revenue in August than they did the same month last year. According to a report from nola.com, casinos in the area generated $30.5 million in August 2021 and won $32.2 million the same month the previous year. This is a 5.3 percent drop.
The casinos in New Orleans include Harrah’s resort, Fair Grounds, and three riverboat casinos. As the powerful hurricane, Ida moved towards Louisiana, casinos in Southeast Louisiana started closing. The storm hit the state at Port Fourchon, just south of New Orleans, with packing sustaining wings of 150 mph on August 29.
The hurricane knocked out power in the region, destroyed businesses and homes along the gulf coast. Unfortunately, dozens of people were killed as the storm passed through the mid-south. Several other states, including New York and New Jersey, were swamped.
Several casinos were closed for four days in August and several days in September in south Louisiana. In fact, these casinos were closed for ten days after hurricane Ida hit the state.
Before Harrah’s New Orleans Hotel and Casino was closed, it had collected enough revenue to exceed the previous August’s. It had $13.7 million compared to August 2020’s $11.8 million, a 16 percent increase. Harrah’s is the only land-based commercial casino owned by the state.
The other gaming facilities in New Orleans recorded a decreased revenue. Amelia Belle, a few miles from Morgan City, had the largest decrease. The riverboat casino collected $1.7 million in august 2021 and $2.4 million in August last year, a 32.1 percent decline.
Considering these casinos were closed six days into September, the gaming revenue for September might be less than that of September 2020. For now, we wait until the Louisiana Gaming Control Board releases the report any time this month to compare.
Baton Rouge Wins Declined
Two riverboat casinos in Baton Rouge also generated less revenue in August 2021 than last year’s August. The Belle of Baton Rouge generated $1.2 million in August last year, 200k more than last month, totaling 16.9 percent less. On the other hand, L’Auberge Casino Hotel had a 10.5 percent decrease from August 2020 income of $12.1 million to $10.9 million last month.
The third riverboat, the Hollywood Casino, had a 5.2 percent increase. Its revenue moved from $4.4 million in August last year to $4.6 million in the same month this year. Generally, casino revenue in the capital city dropped by 7 percent.
The State’s Overall Revenue Increased
The state’s other two large casinos did not close due to Hurricane Ida as New Orleans and Baton Rouge did. The win at a casino in Lake Charles increased by 11.7 percent from last year’s august.
This is not surprising considering that Hurricane Laura severely damaged Lake Charles in August previous year. The storm destroyed casinos, businesses, and homes.
The revenue at Shreveport-bossier city in northwest Louisiana also increased compared to August 2020’s. It was an 11.2 percent rise. The increases in the two casinos covered the lost revenue in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Overall, the state collected a total of $156.3 million in August this year, an increase from last year’s August, which is $148.6 million.
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