La. casino revenue up from January, down from 2012

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Louisiana's state-licensed casinos won nearly $226.9 million from gamblers last month — $25.4 million above their January winnings but down $6.6 million from a year earlier.

Harrah's land-based casino in New Orleans took in $31.7 million in February — about 17.5 percent more than January and 9.7 percent more than a year earlier, according to figures posted Thursday by state regulators.

Harrah's, the slot machine casino at Delta Downs race track in Vinton, and the Isle of Capri riverboat casino in Lake Charles were the only casinos doing better than in February 2012.

Slot-machine casinos at four race tracks took in $35.2 million. That was 12.4 percent above January's take but 5.4 percent below their revenue a year earlier. The biggest one-year percentage drop was 18.4 percent — $1.8 million — at Louisiana Downs.

Delta Downs won nearly $16.5 million in February, or about $97.60 per gambler. That February total was up $1.8 million from last month and $404,900 from a year earlier.

Overall, the 13 state-licensed riverboat casinos took in $159.9 million — up 11.7 percent from the previous month, but down 9.7 percent from February 2012.

Although the Isle of Capri's revenue rose from just under $10 million a year ago to $10.7 million last month, Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.'s total revenues in Lake Charles fell. That's because it has since sold its license for the Grand Palais, which took in $2.8 million a year ago in that market.

The Lake Charles market, also including Delta Downs and L'Auberge Lake Charles, rose 5.1 percent from January to February, but the $52.8 million total was 7.3 percent below that from a year earlier.

Bossier-Shreveport, with five riverboats and a race track, remained the largest total market at $61 million. That was up 14.1 percent from January but down 10.9 percent from February 2012.

New Orleans casinos won $56.3 million, up 15.8 percent from January and down 2 percent from a year ago — the smallest one-year drop in any market.

L'Auberge Baton Rouge continued to draw about double the attendance of either of the city's other two casinos. However, attendance at both the Belle of Baton Rouge (71,909) and the Hollywood Casino (74,142) was the highest since L'Auberge opened in September.

L'Auberge's $11.7 million take was 9.3 percent above January's. It had 152,639 customers in February — also its highest total since its opening month, when it drew 167,281.

The Baton Rouge market total was $24.1 million, 11.3 percent more than last month and 25.8 percent more than last year's two-boat total.

The Amelia Belle in Morgan city won $4.6 million, up 15.9 percent from last month but down 5 percent from February 2012.

The slots at the Evangeline Downs race track took in nearly $8 million, 10.5 percent up from January but 18.4 percent below the total a year earlier.