Two riverboats casinos operating in the southern part of Louisiana could reopen as land-based gambling sites. The two include the Capri and Treasure Chest riverboat casinos.
Capri riverboat casino is owned by Caesars Entertainment and is situated in Lake Charles. The casino was dislodged by a hurricane last year and is set to reopen this year as a land-based property.
Treasure Chest riverboat casino is owned by Nevada-based Boyd Gaming and is located in Lake Pontchartrain, northwest of downtown New Orleans. The Kenner City Council approved a 25-year lease to the casinos that granted Treasure Chest riverboat casino the right to relocate on the land.
Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn believes that bringing Treasure Chest to the land will bring more people and boost tax revenue. Louisiana is home to 13 riverboat casinos, one land-based casino, and four racinos.
Riverboat casinos in Louisiana were authorized in 1990. Visitors were required to journey by boat to access the facilities. That law has been scrapped in favor of land-based operations. Harrah’s casinos in downtown New Orleans was the first riverboat casino to operate on land in Louisiana.
