What’s Hot, What’s Not: Our Louisiana – Mississippi Casino and Racino Tour

Our travels took us to 22 casinos and 2 racinos in the two states last month. We visited Bossier City-Shreveport, Lake Charles, Central Louisiana and New Orleans facilities in Louisiana plus a number of facilities in the Bay St. Louie and Biloxi, Mississippi areas.

What’s Hot – New Hotel Rooms, 1435 new rooms since late December 2014. 

• Golden Nuggets, Lake Charles, Louisiana = 740

• Boomtown, Harvey/New Orleans area…. = 150

• Island View, Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi…= 405

• Silver Slipper, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi = 140

• Coushatta Casino Resort, Kinder/Lake Charles, Louisiana – Opened 208 rebranded and remodeled Grand Hotel designated for adults 21 and older only.

• Boyd Gaming announced a $45 million expansion of the hotel and racino facility at their Vinton, Louisiana, Delta Downs Facility.

• The new Scarlet Pearl Casino and Hotel in d’Iberville/Biloxi market is scheduled to open its casino and 500 room hotel facility later this year.

• Bossier City:  Great crowds and activity at Margaritaville and the Horseshoe.

• Central Louisiana:  Great crowds and activity at the Casino, Racetrack and food areas at Evangeline Downs.

• Lake Charles Area:  Great crowds and activity at the Golden Nugget, L’auberge and the Coushatta Casino Resort.

• Bay St. Louis:  Great Crowds and activity at the Silver slipper.

• Gulfport, Mississippi:  Island View’s beautiful beach hotel with great crowds and activity.

• We observed the “forgotten” Gen-X crowd prominently represented in a number of the facilities we visited.

• A baseball game at the new MGM Park, home of the Biloxi Shuckers.

What’s Not

• The smoking ban in New Orleans – Gaming revenues are off at Harrah’s and the Fairgrounds. Nearby casinos not affected by the smoking ban -- The Treasure Chest in Kinner and Boomtown in Harvey, both in the New Orleans market -- are up for four of the five months. Casino operators would prefer the no-smoking policies be carried out in a way that doesn’t drive their customers down the road to a smoking facility.

• Gaming revenues at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs Racino are way off again this year.  Unfortunately, the facility looks as shabby as the gaming revenue numbers.

• Gaming revenues at Diamond jacks, Bossier City, Louisiana were down each of the first five months. During our visit we saw very slow activity in the casino and food areas.

• The near-total absence of the highly sought-after millennials at most of the facilities.  Heads up --  start promoting to the Gen-X age group.  It will likely pay off. (More to come on this)