Plenty of casinos in Louisiana including Harrah’s New Orleans, the largest one in the state, were affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August and September last year. Their devastating power could not but disrupt the gambling operators. But despite a hurricane affected fall and even with Harrah’s New Orleans contribution of only 13 days of revenue to the total, casinos in Louisiana got a 13% increase in gaming win – and that was in February. Within that period of time, as the state’s Gaming Control Board informed, in spite of the fact that 15 riverboat casinos in the state are still closed, the gaming revenue has increased from $190.1 million last year up to $214.8 million this year.

The gaming revenues in Louisiana’s 12 operating riverboats amounted to $168.9 million in February. That is 25.5% more in comparison with the same month in 2004 when 14 riverboats were reported to make $134.5 million.