Caesars’ Relocated, Renamed Lake Charles Casino to Open in Fall 2022
Casino giant Caesars Entertainment, Inc. is set to transform its Isle of Capri Lake Charles riverboat casino into a land-based property, following its forced closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Hurricane Laura in 2020.
The floating casino barge was damaged last August when Hurricane Laura’s devastating winds pushed it into the pillars supporting the nearby Interstate 10 bridge.
The gambling facility will now be moved onto dry land to reopen in the fall of 2022 as Horseshoe Casino Lake Charles.
The reinvented property will feature more than 60,000 square feet of gaming space, compared to the riverboat’s 45,000 square feet. The land-based casino will have just under 1,000 slot machines and table games.
As announced by Caesars last week, the new facility will further feature a World Series of Poker poker room with 10 tables and an all-new Caesars Sportsbook. A new Brew Brothers Tap House will also complement the complex’s offering.
Caesars further plans to completely redesign Isle of Capri’s existing 253-room hotel tower. The company said that all its preliminary plans are subject to approval from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board and that it would unveil further additions to the Lake Charles casino’s offering in the coming months.
As mentioned above, construction is expected to be complete by the fall of 2022.
An Economic Driver
What would operate as Horseshoe Lake Charles in future is expected to create more than 300 jobs during construction and to turn into an important economic driver for the region when it opens doors on dry land next year.
Commenting on the casino’s relocation and transformation, Caesars CEO Tom Reeg said that they are excited to return to operations in Lake Charles in the fall of 2022 with “an all-new resort experience, introducing our iconic Horseshoe brand.”
Mr. Reeg went on to note that their growing pledge to the state of Louisiana and the region’s growth continues with their investment in their Lake Charles property and that they are proud to lead in the recovery of the city and its community.
Jeff Favre, SVP and General Manager of Isle of Capri Lake Charles said that “between the pandemic and the destruction wrought by Hurricane Laura, the challenges our Team Members have faced are unparalleled” and that he is thrilled to “take this dynamic step forward toward getting our Team Members back to work.”
Isle of Capri Lake Charles was Louisiana’s first casino to get the green light from state regulators to relocate on adjacent dry land in late 2019. The property’s owner said at the time that it would invest around $112.7 million into the relocation and that it expected the land-based facility to be ready by May 2021, but the Covid-19 outbreak and the damage caused by Hurricane Laura delayed the project.
Source: Caesars reveals plans for new Horseshoe Casino Lake Charles, KFDM, August 21, 2021