Caesars Sportsbook made a big splash less than a week before the NFL season begins, opening two new retail locations for sports betting in Louisiana.
NFL Hall of Famer and former New Orleans Saint Ricky Jackson placed the ceremonial first bet — on the Saints to win the Superbowl, of course — to officially open Harrah's New Orleans.
The location will eventually be renamed to Caesars New Orleans, continuing the momentum that Caesars has had since it took the first retail sports bet when the state launched legal sports betting on October 31, 2021 — and followed with mobile wagering in January 2022.
On that day, former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert placed that first bet on the Saints to cover against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game that New Orleans ended up winning outright.
The new setup at Harrah's is 5,700 square feet with a 147-foot screen, 12 kiosks, and four betting windows.
Caesars' strong Louisiana presence
The other new Caesars location is found in Northwest Louisiana, at the Horseshoe Bossier City casino. The space is 6,900 square feet, featuring 94 TVs, three betting windows, and 15 kiosks. The operator also plans to open another new retail location in the newly named Horseshoe Lake Charles.
"This was a special week for Caesars and our longstanding commitment to Louisiana," said Dan Real, Regional President of Caesars Entertainment.
That commitment also includes Caesars having several partnerships with the state’s premier sports teams: it has agreements with the Saints, the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans, and Louisiana State University (LSU).
On top of that, the Saints play in the Caesars Superdome.
Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital, added that "we truly feel like we're part of the home team in Louisiana, and we take pride in serving the great customers and sports fans in the state."
Louisiana’s falling handle
Since the state’s first full month of legal sports betting with mobile operators, in February 2022, Louisiana’s betting handle has dropped month-over-month, going from $238 million to $118 million in their most recent revenue report.
Football season is upon us, however, with the LSU Tigers — and the Saints — expected to drive up these numbers.
Louisiana currently boasts 17 brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, but those in the Pelican State still prefer to bet online, wagering $103.3 million in July — compared to less than $15 million garnered from in-person wagers.
