New Orleans and Louisiana Casinos: Riverboats, Harrah's NOLA, and the Gulf Coast Crossroads

Louisiana has 16 casinos — one land-based (Harrah's New Orleans) and 15 riverboats. The Lake Charles cluster is the state's largest gaming market, drawing players from Houston.

Louisiana's casino industry is shaped by geography. The state borders Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi — all states with limited or no commercial gaming. Louisiana captured cross-border traffic and built its casinos at the borders.

The only land-based casino in Louisiana. Located in downtown New Orleans on Canal Street, between the French Quarter and the Mississippi River. ~115,000 sqft casino floor, currently undergoing major renovation/rebuild as it transitions to a "Caesars New Orleans" rebrand with attached new hotel tower (planned 2025-2026 completion).

Caesars Rewards eligible. The pre-renovation property was tired. The new build will reposition it as a destination property similar to Caesars properties in regional markets.

For NOLA visitors, Harrah's is the casino. Walk-in friendly. Jackson Square is 10 minutes by foot. Bourbon Street is 10 minutes.

Lake Charles, LA is 130 miles from Houston. Houston has ~7M residents and zero commercial casinos. The Lake Charles properties capture an enormous amount of Houston cross-border traffic.

The big three:

• L'Auberge Lake Charles (Boyd Gaming): 996 rooms, the most upscale of the three
• Golden Nugget Lake Charles (Landry's): 1,100 rooms, opened 2014, the biggest property
• Horseshoe Lake Charles (Caesars): smaller, Caesars Rewards integrated

For Houston-area players: this is the closest casino market by car. Drive: 2 hours.

Shreveport, LA is 190 miles from Dallas. Dallas has ~7.5M metro residents and limited gaming options (a few card rooms, no commercial casinos). The Shreveport-Bossier riverboat cluster is the natural draw.

The major properties:

• Margaritaville Resort Casino: Jimmy Buffett-themed, family-friendly
• Eldorado Resort Casino: Caesars-affiliated
• Horseshoe Bossier City: Caesars Rewards integrated, the big poker room
• Sam's Town Shreveport: Boyd Gaming's regional property

For Dallas-Fort Worth players: Shreveport is the closest legal casino. Drive: 3 hours.

Until 2018, Louisiana required casino gaming to occur "on the water" — a riverboat technicality from the original 1991 legislation. The casinos were built as docked riverboats permanently moored to land-based hotel towers.

In 2018 the state legislature allowed casinos to relocate gaming floors to attached land-based buildings. Most properties have since done the conversion. The riverboat aesthetic remains in some marketing but operationally these are land-based casinos with attached water frontage.

Louisiana has three tribal casinos:

• Coushatta Casino Resort (Kinder, LA): Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, ~600 hotel rooms, large casino, draws from southern Louisiana
• Paragon Casino Resort (Marksville, LA): Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, smaller property
• Choctaw Resort Casino (in Pearl River, MS, but draws Louisiana players)

Tribal properties are typically lower-cost room product than the Lake Charles cluster but lighter on amenities.

Louisiana legalized online sports betting in 2022 but has not legalized online casino gaming. Online sportsbook is available statewide; online casino gaming is not.

For NOLA-area visitors: Harrah's New Orleans (or the new Caesars NOLA when complete).

For destination casino weekends: Lake Charles cluster (Golden Nugget for the biggest property, L'Auberge for the most upscale).

For Dallas-area weekends: Shreveport-Bossier (Horseshoe if Caesars Rewards, Sam's Town if Boyd Connected).

For our broader Gulf coast take: Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos.

Topics

• louisiana
• new-orleans
• riverboats

More casino guides