Louisiana Casino Gaming and Sports Betting Numbers Decline in April

Louisiana’s gaming and sports betting industries saw a decline in numbers for April wagering compared to March.

The state’s retail and mobile sports betting combined for a 10.5% decrease in a month-over-month comparison, while the four in-person components of Louisiana’s gaming sector had a falloff of 3.4% combined.

Louisiana has no online gambling real money options.

Revenue figures for April for Louisiana gaming outside of sports betting added up to $292,300,716 in April, down about $10 million from March’s $302,435,095. The total figure was almost $30 million short of the $320.5 million recorded one year earlier, in April 2021.

Of the four segments that make up Louisiana gaming (riverboat casinos, land-based casino, video terminals and racinos), only the land-based Harrah’s New Orleans Casino saw an increase in revenue compared to March.

In April, Harrah’s reported $27 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR), an 18.2% rise in a month-over-month comparison, according to figures from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.

The four racinos – the name for slot machines at racetracks – were down 1.4% for the month, combining for $30.76 million in April revenue compared to $31.2 million for the previous month. The revenue was also off by 12% compared to April 2021.

The 13 riverboat casinos in the state combined for a 3.8% decrease, from $167.43 million in March to $161.06 million last month. Those facilities combined for $176 million in revenue 12 months earlier.

Revenue at Louisiana’s 12,000-plus video gaming terminals fell the most at 9.3%, from $80.98 million in March to $73.48 million in April. The decline was sharper in a year-over-year comparison – down 13.2% from the $84.69 million in April 2021.

April’s total sports betting handle in Louisiana was $208,255,060, down 10.5% from March ($232,730,341), according to LGCB reports.

The mobile sports betting handle was down by a similar amount, falling 9.6% from $205,745,956 in March to $186,044,928. The retail handle was a bit over $22 million last month, down 17.7% from March, when it was nearly $27 million.

The mobile handle was the lowest in the state since online sports wagering launched on Jan. 28, hardly a surprising development in a month with no NFL and only the Final Four games to wager on in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

The revenue figures were way down for April thanks mostly to a 1.8% win for Louisiana sportsbooks. Revenue, which exceeded $30 million to smash the state record in March, dropped to $5.6 million in April, an 81.4% decline.

April’s sports betting taxes paid to the state came to $2.57 million, a 24.6% decrease from $3.4 million in March.