On Dec. 8, 1993, casino gambling in Lake Charles officially began. Since then, the local market has become one of America’s
top 20 performers.
Players II Casino Riverboat, a $30
million paddlewheel boat that cruised the lake on 90-minute excursions,
was the city’s
first gambling facility. The vessel, which hosted 200 people on
its maiden voyage, offered slot machines and table games to
patrons.
Players International, the boat’s owner, had a plan to invest millions into the virgin gambling market with intentions of
creating 700 jobs and a $17 million payroll.
Even though there was opposition to the new business venture, the need for jobs overtook moral concerns and local residents,
politicians and business leaders decided to allow the industry to get a foothold in the area.
Almost 20 years later, the Southwest
Louisiana gambling market has grown into one of the nation’s most
profitable with operations
like Pinnacle Entertainment’s L’Auberge Casino Resort, Isle of
Capri Casino Hotel in Westlake, Boyd Gaming’s Delta Downs Racetrack
Casino Hotel in Vinton, and Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder all
garnering huge profits from gamblers, along with enticing
tourists to the area.
Shelley Johnson, executive director of the Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau, said nobody in the early 1990s
thought the gambling industry would have such a strong impact on the local economy.
“Back then there was no precedence and
we did not have the full realization of what gaming would do for our
area,” she said.
“Gaming has had a super impact on tourism. Who would think that
today 300,000 people visit the area on the weekend? That has
allowed tourism to become a market indicator for the parish like
the petrochemical, aviation and other industries.”
According to a 2012 regional economic outlook report compiled by the H.C. Drew Center for Business and Economic Analysis at
McNeese State University, casino gambling in Calcasieu Parish is a $700 million-a-year industry.
The Lake Area’s gambling market growth coincides with the overall development of the industry within the Bayou State.
According to the American Gaming Association, as of December 2011, Louisiana ranked fifth in the amount of money spent at
casinos at $2.37 billion. Nevada was first with $10.7 billion.
In 2011, Louisiana’s casino outlets —
14 land-based or riverboat casinos, four racetrack casinos, three tribal
casinos and
2,159 electronic gaming devices — generated $569.2 million in
wages and $573.1 million in tax revenues and served 32 million
customers. Combined, all of the casinos created 17,207 jobs in
2011.
Of the nation’s top 15 individual casino markets, Lake Charles ranks 13th, ahead of Reno, Nev., and New Orleans.
David Painter was a member of the Lake Charles City Council when riverboat gambling began in the 1990s. Looking back at the
decision to allow the industry to operate in the city, Painter thinks the outcomes have been remarkable.
“I made the decision to vote for riverboat gaming because Lake Charles needed jobs. I was willing to take a chance. The impact
has been good since we don’t have as much unemployment,” he said.
“It does surprise me that it mushroomed liked it did. But I know we thought riverboat gaming was going to provide a great
opportunity since Lake Charles is so close to Texas.”
Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach was a state representative when riverboat gambling policy was being created. He believes the
region has benefited from changes in the way riverboats are built.
“The Gaming Control Board modified design standards, and that allowed L’Auberge du Lac resort to build its riverboat into
a barge-like structure that’s dockside,” he said.
L’Auberge opened in August 2005 with
745 hotel rooms, a golf course, and a casino surrounded by retail
outlets. The gambling
area was the “only single-deck riverboat in Louisiana. The
225-feet-by-330-feet gaming vessel will be one of the largest
single-deck
riverboat casinos in the United States,” according to a Pinnacle
Entertainment news release from Dec. 2, 2004.
Building a casino-resort was viewed back then as a way to ensure the Lake Area would be a tourist destination.
“Overall, the numbers speak for
themselves when you look at where we were in 1993 to now,” Roach said.
“Gaming is a significant
industry that includes Lake Charles, Kinder and Vinton. The entire
region has become a destination for gaming. I don’t think
anybody anticipated this kind of growth.”
When Ameristar Lake Charles, which is under construction, is completed, it is supposed to create 1,500 permanent jobs, and
generate $10 million in annual tax revenues for local governments and $60 million in state taxes.
As proposed, the casino-resort will
have 700 guest rooms, a golf course, tennis courts, a pool, a spa and
entertainment facilities.
Ameristar Lake Charles is supposed to open in July 2014.