From the coronavirus pandemic to bad weather, casinos in Louisiana State had a hard time for business. However, with the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination and weather settling, the state is getting back to business. It is evident from its increase in gaming revenue recorded in April.
New Orleans newspaper website Nola.com reported these changes. The newspaper gathered the report from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. Essentially, the gaming revenue increased up to $235.8 million in April, while that of March was $225.1 million.
This was a 4.8 percent increase. Casinos in the New Orleans area saw a seven percent increase with a win of $55.1 million. Those in Harrah’s New Orleans saw a rise of 11.7 percent with $25.1 million in April, while March was $22.4 million.
Yet, casino contributions to the total gaming revenue are uneven. Some were doing better than others.
For example, Boomtown New Orleans is a riverboat situated south of downtown New Orleans, opposite the Mississippi River. It saw a win of $12.4 million in March and $12.9 million in April, a 4.5 percent increase.
Treasure Chest Casino at Lake Pontchartrain in Kenner recorded a fall of 2.9 percent from $9.1 million in March to $8.8 million in April. Yet, there was a leader in all this.
Baton Rouge Casino Recorded the Highest Percentage Increase
While most casinos have recorded better wins, no casino in Louisiana had better gaming income than L’Auberge Baton Rouge. Located south of the Louisiana State University Campus and the capital city, this riverboat’s win increased by 18.9 percent. The casino collected $18 million in April and $15.1 million inMarch.
L’Auberge Lake Charles in Lake Charles just west of Baton Rouge also increased from $30 million inMarch to $31.6 million in April.
Another casino located in the west of Lake Charles, few miles to the Texas border, experienced a fall of 2.9 percent. The Delta Downs Racetrack Hotel and Casino in Vinton, LA, collected $16.7 million in April down from 17.2 million a month earlier.
Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge gaming revenue also fell by 0.2 percent in April. With a $6.6 million revenue a month earlier, the property lost $13,412, bringing its April revenue to approximately 6.58 million. The property is situated north of downtown, near the state capitol building on the Mississippi River.
How COVID-19 and Weather Set Louisiana Back
The coronavirus pandemic forced all leaders to implement measures to control it. In the gaming industry, casinos had to close their doors for a while. After their return, they implemented a capacity limit, allowing only a small number into casinos at a time.
Most casinos have gained instructions to remove occupancy restrictions. But, according to the executive director of the Louisiana Casino Association, Wade Duty, it will be a while before casinos see the changes. Some properties have to get back their slot machines and other gaming tools from storage and reinstall them.
In South Louisiana, casinos had to close following several hurricanes last year. The February winter followed the season of storms. This led to economic paralysis in most parts of the state.
Casinos had to close for some time to pave the way for the severe winter. Roads were icy, and most bridges were closed, keeping players away from the casino.
Even with the reopening of casinos, people remain indoors as the temperatures plunged. These factors contributed to a fall in casino wins in March compared to last year’s February.
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