Another Louisiana Casino Riverboat Set to Sink, This Time Near New Orleans

Gamblers in Louisiana are poised to have access to yet another land-based casino in the coming years.

Boyd Gaming has announced its intentions to move the Amelia Belle Casino inland with a new brick-and-mortar gaming facility. Officials with the Las Vegas-based regional gaming specialist announced during their second-quarter earnings call that the company is in the early planning stages of a land-based Amelia Belle.

“We are gearing up for our next growth projects,” said Boyd Gaming President and CEO Kevin Smith. “One such project is in Louisiana at our Amelia Belle property.”

Smith said pending regulatory approval, Boyd plans to convert Amelia Belle to a land-based facility with a modern casino floor and enhanced food and beverage offerings. Amelia presently only offers a quick-service restaurant and grab-and-go option.

“Once design work is complete, we expect to begin construction on this project in late 2027,” Smith explained.

The Amelia Belle Casino currently offers 600 slot machines, live dealer table games, and sports betting. Located in St. Mary Parish, the riverboat is roughly 60 air miles west of New Orleans.

Louisiana Riverboats Sunk

Following several hurricanes and tropical storms that damaged or destroyed riverboat casinos, Louisiana lawmakers in 2018 passed Senate Bill 316 to allow gaming to move inland to sturdier facilities. The caveat is that the riverboat’s land-based home must be within 1,200 feet of its original berth.

Since the regulatory change, most Louisiana casinos have become land-based venues, though they retain state-issued riverboat gaming licenses. The days of true riverboat gaming aboard barged vessels continue to become a thing of the past.

In recent years, DiamondJacks in Bossier City was sunk in favor of a new brick-and-mortar resort called Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana. Bally’s Corp. moved two Baton Rouge riverboats ashore with The Queen Baton Rouge and the Bally’s Baton Rouge.

Amelia Belle will follow when construction on its land-based structure starts in 2027.

Along with Amelia Belle, Boyd’s current projects include a new land-based casino resort in Virginia’s Norfolk and a new permanently moored barge structure to accommodate an expansion of its Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in Illinois’ East Peoria. Boyd also recently opened Cadence Crossing Casino, the reboot of Jokers Wild, in Nevada’s Henderson, southeast of the Las Vegas Strip.

Seeking Higher Ground

Bally Entertainment opened the Amelia Belle Casino as Bally’s New Orleans Casino in 1995. Docked on Lake Pontchartrain, the riverboat was heavily damaged during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

After the boat’s repair, parish voters in St. Mary approved of gambling and welcomed the casino, which rebranded to the Amelia Belle.