In spite of setbacks, Caesar’s is still looking to improve in Louisiana, said Frissora, noting the company plans to build new “casinos of the future,” one of which will be at their New Orleans location. “Sixty-three slot machines will never make up for the gap that’s been created, but that’s one example of multiple things we’re trying to do to fill the funnel which has been left void.” Real said the two other courtyards are scheduled to open before the July 4 weekend. It is the first of three smoker-friendly courtyards. But he is optimistically focused on the 63 new slot machines in that location’s new smoker-friendly courtyard, which he said has been successful since it opened in November. “It was a very passionate topic,” Real told the Manship School News Service. “There was an absolute correlation.” Real said the smoking ban hurt revenues for the state and city, as well, but he does not expect the city to reverse it.

“But I think the smoking ban had an impact.” Task Force chairman Ronnie Jones pointed out that revenues for neighboring properties were decreasing before the ban, and now the reverse is happening: revenues at the New Orleans’ location are decreasing as the neighboring properties are increasing. “It’s not fair because everyone else around us doesn’t have the smoking ban,” Frissora argued.Ĭaesar’s Entertainment president for the south region of the U.S., Dan Real, said the company’s first quarter in 2015 was its best in that property’s history, just before they were “hit” by the ban. Frissora said the ban makes it difficult to compete with venues in the surrounding area, because it only affects Orleans Parish. He and other executives spoke to the task force Tuesday (March 21) at the Capitol. The other two are in Bossier City.Ĭaesars Entertainment president and CEO Mark Frissora said Harrah’s in New Orleans lost about $70 million in revenue during the two years following the start of the smoking ban in New Orleans in April 2015. The casino is one of the three in Louisiana owned by Caesar’s. 1 Louisiana enterprise, Harrah’s Casino & Hotel in downtown New Orleans. Representatives from the global casino enterprise Caesar’s Entertainment outlined for the Riverboat Economic Development and Gaming Task Force the negative impact of a local smoking ban on its No.

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