Shreveport’s first floating casino – the Isle of Capri – will soon be transformed into a $270 million land-based entertainment and casino destination.
On the border of Texas and just three hours from the Metroplex, the Shreveport-Bossier City area has long attracted Texas residents in search of legal casino gaming. LRGC Gaming Investors LLC, an affiliate of The Cordish Companies, has been granted approval to build a casino resort from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.
Cordish plans to open Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana in the first quarter of 2025.
How will Texas benefit from the new Live! Casino & Hotel?
Because there are no commercial or Texas online casinos, Texans routinely travel to Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico to play at casinos. All efforts to expand gambling in The Lone Star State have failed up to now.
The Cordish Companies’ headquarters is in Baltimore. It operates Live!-branded resorts in Philadelphia, Tampa and Hollywood, FL.
Joe Weinberg, managing partner of The Cordish Companies, recently talked to the Shreveport Times about all the benefits the new casino resort will bring to the Shreveport-Bossier City community.
“Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will be a transformative development that will bring a first-class gaming, dining, entertainment and hospitality experience, create significant new jobs and generate millions of dollars in economic benefits for the community. We are extremely excited to continue moving forward with this project and deliver a world-class destination to the region.”
Casino will rise from Diamond Jacks’ dust
The Isle of Capri was the first casino to open in Shreveport in 1994. Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will be the first land-based casino in the Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area. The area has a population of just under 400,000.
Rebranded as Diamond Jacks Casino Hotel in 2006 and owned by Peninsula Pacific, the former Isle of Capri was closed in 2020. It lost a significant chunk of business due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board approved the sale to The Cordish Company in April. The company, however, had to pass a review process before it could be approved as an operator.
After discarding Diamond Jacks, Peninsula sought a location elsewhere in Louisiana. A vote for a casino in St. Tammany Parish, however, did not go in their favor.
Ronnie Johns, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, touted the many benefits the new casino resort will bring to the area.
“Cordish has an exceptional reputation in providing first-rate casino experiences as well as hospitality and entertainment venues across the country. We are pleased with their decision to bring their Live! brand to the state of Louisiana. We feel comfortable that their commitment to a first-class, $270 million project will help grow the Bossier City/Shreveport gaming market. We welcome The Cordish Companies and look forward to working with them to bring this project to a reality to open sometime in 2025.”
Cordish has connections to Texas
Demolition is underway where Diamond Jacks once stood as a riverboat casino.
The Cordish Company envisions building a site with over 47,000 square feet of gaming space and over 1,000 slots and table games. There are plans for a sportsbook, multiple themed restaurants and an entertainment venue suitable for concerts and conventions. The company also plans to renovate the hotel rooms and public domain.
Cordish also has a Texas Live! Entertainment district in Arlington located near Globe Life Park and AT&T Stadium, anchored by a Loews hotel, Weinberg said.
“We’re grateful to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board for their approval and thank them for their consideration and enthusiastic support through this process.”
