It was a mixed bag of results for Louisiana sportsbooks and casinos in the month of January.
As far as the Bayou State’s sportsbooks were concerned, the first calendar month of the year was a strong one with a 10.8% month-over-month increase in handle (from $218,701,200 in December to $282,369,901 in January).
Louisiana’s casinos weren’t as lucky, however, with revenues down 8.3% month-over-month, falling to $255,104,048 in January.
Here’s what you should know about the January Louisiana sports betting and casino reports.
Louisiana Sports Betting, January vs. December
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Sports Betting Gains Traction in January
Louisiana sports betting apps regained some of the ground they lost in December, jumping back above $260 million in handle after dropping to just over $254.2 million in the final calendar month of 2022.
The collective handle out of the state represents five consecutive months above $200 million, giving Louisiana its longest stretch since going three months in a row above that mark from February to April 2022.
As far as sports betting revenues are concerned, January’s haul of $28,004,732 represented a 24.5% month-over-month decrease from the $37,082,755 in the December Louisiana revenue report.
Much of that subtraction came from greater than average payouts to customers, which impacted operators’ net winnings, causing their overall share to plummet during the month.
Unsurprisingly, Louisiana sportsbooks including the likes of bet365 Louisiana contributed 23.9% less in the way of wagering taxes in January than they did the month before, chipping in $3,320,238 ($2,715,822 online, $604,416 retail) compared to $4,363,695 in December.
Casinos Lose Ground in January
The first month of the year wasn’t a pretty one for Louisiana casinos, with $255,104,048 in revenue during the month.
That haul came up 8.3% short of the $278,236,620 those facilities chipped in during December but was a slight increase over the $253,727,483 they collected in January 2022.
Riverboat casinos were the main contributors to Louisiana’s casino haul in January, with $147,800,039 in revenues (or roughly 58% of the state’s total) during the month.
Casinos in the state have now reported at least $250 million in revenue for 16 straight months, dating back to September 2021. We're unlikely to see a major rise in casino revenue without the addition of mobile options. There are free-to-play options available, however, such as the social casino run by BetRivers Louisiana.
