Work has started on a new land-based casino in Bossier City, the latest addition to the Louisiana sportsbooks space. On Wednesday, representatives from The Cordish Companies, along with local and state officials, celebrated the groundbreaking for Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana in Bossier City.
The $270 million project will include nearly 50,000 square feet of gaming space featuring more than 1,000 slots and electronic table games and more than 40 live-dealer tables as well as a sportsbook. Cordish is also building a 550-room high-end resort hotel, an event center and more than 30,000 square feet of dining space, including Cordish staples Sports & Social and PBR Cowboy Bar.
“With the first land-based casino in the market, Live! casino will be a transformative development that will bring a first-class gaming and entertainment experience to millions of visitors, create significant new jobs, and generate millions of dollars in economic benefits for the community for generations to come,” Cordish Companies Chairman Jon Cordish said.
Live! is slated to open in 2025. When it does, it will be the second land-based casino in the state, joining Harrah’s New Orleans, which is undergoing a $325 million renovation and will become a Caesars casino next year.
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Property Changed Hands Twice
The project is being built on what was the Diamond Jacks Casino. Like others, the casino closed in March 2020 due to COVID-19 emergency orders shutting down businesses deemed non-essential. Two months later, as other Louisiana casinos reopened, Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), Diamond Jacks’ owner, announced the permanent closure.
An effort to transfer the license for a casino proposal in Slidell was rejected by voters. P2E sold the property to Foundation Gaming last year, but shortly after Foundation revealed its plans for a casino, it chose to resell the property in April to Cordish, the Baltimore-based developer of casinos and entertainment districts across the country. Later that month, Cordish officials presented its plans for the Bossier City casino.
A Boost For Bossier City
According to Cordish, the Live! casino is expected to generate more than $200 million in gaming taxes for Louisiana and Bossier City over its first five years.
The casino is expected to create 750 jobs during construction and another 750 once it opens. Workers are expected to make $34 million in wages and tips annually, which works out to an average of more than $45,300 per permanent employee.
Louisiana currently has 15 land-based and riverboat casinos open across the state. That includes five casinos along the Red River in the Shreveport-Bossier City area and Louisiana Downs, a racino in Bossier City.
Even with the existing competition, the Cordish casino is expected to give the region an economic spark. According to the American Gaming Association, the northwestern Louisiana twin cities near the Arkansas and Texas borders are the 20th largest U.S. commercial gaming market. In 2022, the region reported revenues of $600.9 million, down 6.9% from 2021.
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