The Bossier City Diamond Jacks Casino is getting a much-needed facelift. The Louisiana Gaming Commission has approved the sale of the shuttered casino to Mississippi-based firm Foundation Gaming, with plans for a nearly $200 million renovation and reopening. According to the new owners, this will breathe new life into the abandoned property. Included in the plans was the renovation of the Louisiana sports betting platform in the area for retail betting.
“This is a day we’ve been waiting for a long time,” Commission Chairman Ronnie Johns said.
“Foundation has an impressive plan.”
Bossier City Casino and Sports Betting Lounge Renovation
Foundation has certainly set an ambitious agenda with the Bossier City project. They plan to construct a 47,000-square-foot casino and renovate the 405-room hotel, as well as build a sports betting lounge and 300-seat venue for live entertainment.
To round out the experience, they will offer at least three restaurants and two retail outlets with a spa and pool too. While there is plenty of exciting news about this project, it’s not all good – owners plan to sell the existing riverboat and move it either by floating or disassembling it and moving it by land. Whatever the case may be, the completion of this project promises to make Bossier City an attractive destination again.
“We’ve put together what we believe will be a great project for the market and the community,” Foundation’s co-chief executive officer, Greg Guida said.
The sports betting area will add another gaming destination in the Pelican State which allows sports wagering in 55 of the 64 parishes. There are more than a dozen of retail locations, and a total of eight online sportsbook apps.
More Sports Betting Updates in Louisiana
November was a sudden shock to sports betting in Louisiana as revenues plummeted from the October figure of $33.4 million to only $6.4 million. This amounted to an immense drop of $27 million for the month. This is mainly attributed to Mattress Mack’s enormous winnings after he correctly predicted Houston Astros, winning the NHL World Series.
Despite this unexpected consequence, the total taxes contributed from mobile sports betting had increased by a staggering amount of 6 million dollars – a record high since legalization. Although it may not have been enough to offset the tremendous loss in income, it also demonstrates that the state is being proactive when it comes to taxation and generating new funds.
Moreover, Louisiana Gaming Control Board’s reports revealed that there were more bets wagered during November than ever before – with numbers showing an increase of 6.7% from October at a total of $233,703,879. Ultimately, while November may have been an unlucky month for Louisiana sportsbooks, there were certainly encouraging indicators that point towards further success in the coming months.
