Updated on: January 3rd, 2025
Louisiana gambling has the sincerest roots of any other state in the South. The state was home to the very first racing industry in the state. Louisiana also hosted the infamous lottery racket in history. Modern-day Louisiana gaming is still among the most popular in the South. They host horse racing, a state lottery, off-track betting, charitable gaming and also full-scale Louisiana casinos. About half of the casinos legalized video poker at taverns, bars and truck stops. With 21 Louisiana casinos, six of them are Native American casinos.
Louisiana Casinos & Gambling
- Year Louisiana Gambling was Regulated: Lottery (1868-1893, 1990-present), Bingo (1987), Racing (1852-1868, 1971-present), Casinos (1991), Truck Stop/Tavern Video Poker (1991)
- Estimated Tax Revenue: $670 million
- Estimated Betting Revenue: $2.9 billion
- Louisiana Legal Gambling Age: 18 for racing
Popular Casino Games
- Slots
- Blackjack
- Poker
- Craps/Roulette
- Horses
- Lottery
Live Gambling in Louisiana
There are many types of live gambling in Louisiana. Horseracing is one of the original types of betting in Louisiana. There are numerous tracks in the state that offer live and simulcast racing. The state lottery sells scratch-off and lotto tickets. Charities are allowed to sell raffle tickets, bingo cards and pools which involve games of chance. They must be operated by non-profit organizations registered with the state. There are lots of legal Louisiana casinos that offer players popular games. There are three kinds of casinos in Louisiana. Also, there are riverboat casinos, which has all but one commercial Louisiana casino. Harrah’s New Orleans has special arrangement that permits it to be on land. There are also Native American Louisiana casinos based on reservation land.
Louisiana Gambling Laws
There are minimum gambling ages in Louisiana. Minimum Louisiana gambling age for racing and Bingo players is 18 years. The state lottery requires players to be 21 years old. Louisiana betting laws prohibits all types of online gambling. Web gamblers will face a fine of up to $500 for taking part. Louisiana is one of the two states with explicit consequences for players. Louisiana casinos must be on bodies of water. There are presently 15 Louisiana casino licenses for commercial operations. Five casinos are in Shreveport. Four casinos are in Lake Charles. There are three casinos based in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
List of Louisiana Casinos
| CASINO | SIZE | ADDRESS | WEBSITE |
| Amelia Belle Casino | 800 Slot Machines | 500 Lake Plourde Rd. | www.ameliabellecasino.com |
| Belle of Baton Rouge Casino | 750 Slot Machines | 103 France St. | www.belleofbatonrouge.com |
| Boomtown Casino – Bossier City | 1,100 Slot Machines | 300 Riverside Dr. | www.boomtownbossier.com |
| Boomtown New Orleans | 1,250 Slot Machines | 4132 Peters Rd. | www.boomtownneworleans.com |
| Coushatta Casino – Kinder | 2,800 Slot Machines | 777 Coushatta Dr. | www.coushattacasinoresort.com |
| Cypress Bayou Casino – Charenton | 600 Slot Machines | 832 Martin Luther King Rd. | www.cypressbayou.com |
| Delta Downs Casino – Vinton | 1,600 Slot Machines | 2717 Delta Downs Dr. | www.deltadowns.com |
| Diamond Jacks Casino – Bossier City | 1,000 Slot Machines | 711 Diamondjacks Blvd. | www.diamondjacks.com |
| Eldorado Casino – Shreveport | 1,500 Slot Machines | 451 Clyde Fant Pkwy | www.eldoradoshreveport.com |
| Evangeline Downs – Opelousas | 1,400 Slot Machines | 2235 Cresswell Lane Extension | www.evangelinedowns.com |
| Fair Grounds Race Course and Casino – New Orleans | 600 Slot Machines | 1751 Gentilly Blvd. | www.fairgroundsracecourse.com |
| Golden Nugget – Lake Charles | 1,600 Slot Machines | 2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. | www.goldennugget.com |
| Harrah’s Louisiana Downs – Bossier City | 1,300 Slot Machines | 8000 E. Texas St. | www.caesars.com |
| Harrah’s – New Orleans | 1,700 Slot Machines | 228 Poydras St. | www.caesars.com |
| Hollywood Casino – Baton Rouge | 1,500 Slot Machines | North, 1717 River Rd. | www.hollywoodbr.com |
| Horseshoe Casino – Bossier City | 1,500 Slot Machines | 711 Horseshoe Blvd. | www.caesars.com |
| Isle of Capri – Lake Charles | 1,150 Slot Machines | 100 Westlake Ave. | www.isleofcapricasinos.com |
| Choctaw Pines Casino – Dry Pong | 700 Slot Machines | 149 149 Chahta Trails | www.jenachoctawpinescasino.com |
| L’Auberge Casino – Baton Rouge | 1,500 Slot Machines | 777 L’Auberge Ave. | www.lbatonrouge.com |
| L’Auberge Casino – Lake Charles | 1,600 Slot Machines | 777 Ave. L’Auberge | www.llakecharles.com |
| Margaritaville Casino – Bossier City | 1,200 Slot Machines | 777 Margaritaville Way | www.margaritavillebossiercity.com |
| Paragon Casino – Marksville | 2,000 Slot Machines | 711 Paragon Place | www.paragoncasinoresort.com |
| Sam’s Town – Shreveport | 1,000 Slot Machines | 315 Clyde Fant Pkwy | www.samstownshreveport.com |
| Treasure Chest Casino – Kenner | 1,000 Slot Machines | 5050 Williams Blvd. | www.treasurechest.com |
Louisiana Gambling History
The first type of organized gambling in Louisiana was a government-run casino in 1753. There were more places to play at than nearly any other city in the early 1800’s. The federal government banned casinos in 1812. The law excused New Orleans. The legality of casinos bounced back and forth until 1866. The first version of the Lottery began in 1866. The state had outlawed all other types of gambling at that time. A private firm operated the lottery. Tickets and transactions were handled through mail. Horseracing was then legalized in 1929. The first race track was at the New Orleans Fair Grounds. It was the only facility in the state where gambling was regulated.
