NEW ORLEANS -- Gamblers lost nearly $199.7 million at Louisiana's state licensed casinos in September, up from $188 million for August and $196.6 million for September of last year.
Most of the money was dropped at the state's 13 riverboat casinos. Total revenue climbed to $141.8 million for September, up from $132.7 in August and $134.1 a year earlier, a boost attributable to the opening of a new casino, L'Auberge, in Baton Rouge.
Harrah's land-based casino in New Orleans won $25.2 million in September, up from $22.9 million in August, when Hurricane Isaac shut down the casino for the last few days of the month, but down considerably from more than $30.7 million in September a year earlier.
Slot machine casinos at the four Louisiana horse tracks won $32.7 million, compared to $32.4 million in August and $31.7 million a year earlier.
The five-riverboat Shreveport-Bossier market led the state in gambling revenue with nearly $51.6 million in September winnings; followed by the Lake Charles market, with $42.1 million; the New Orleans riverboat market with $22.9 million; and the Baton Rouge market, $25.1 million.
Among the racetrack slot parlors, Delta Downs, in Vinton, not far from the Texas state line, won more than 15.4 million, almost half the racetrack slot total. It was followed by Evangeline Downs, with almost $7.4 million; Harrah's at Louisiana Downs, $5.9 million; the Fair Grounds, $4 million.