Cordish Companies’ Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana Breaks Ground on Construction

Article ByDavid Weir

December 14, 2023

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Posted in: Louisiana Gambling News, US Casino News, US Gambling News

The Cordish Companies has officially begun construction on a new $270 million land-based casino, Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana, in Bossier City, Louisiana.

The ground-breaking ceremony, which signals the start of this major project, was held Tuesday, December 13, with local dignitaries in attendance.

The new casino, led by LRGC Gaming Investors, an affiliate of Cordish, is set to open in 2025. It is being built on the site of the former Diamond Jacks Casino & Hotel, which closed in 2020 because of the pandemic and never reopened.

Cordish Companies operates casinos in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and also helped Florida hospitality giant Hard Rock build two of its flagship casinos in the Sunshine State. Cordish also owns various entertainment and retail properties across the U.S. and Europe.

Company Chairman John Cordish spoke this week on the operator’s expansion at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“Today marks an incredibly special day for my family and The Cordish Companies, as we continue to expand our Live! brand in the Southeast region of the country with the development of Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana,” he said.

Project Specifications and Economics

Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will feature more than 47,000 square feet of gaming space, including more than 1,000 slots, electronic table games, and 40 live table games.

The gambling options will include a new addition to the list of Louisiana retail sportsbooks. No word on the exact specifications of the retail ‘book as of yet. However, Cordish has a preexisting agreement with market-leading operator FanDuel for retail sports betting in Maryland and Pennsylvania, so a new FanDuel venue would only make sense.

Outside of the betting, the hotel part of the new casino resort will feature 550 rooms alongside pool facilities and a gym. There will also be an event center with 25,000 square feet of space for concerts, conventions, and meetings, as well as various restaurants and bars. That includes a Professional Bull Riding-themed cowboy bar and an Asian eatery called Luk Fu.

Cordish anticipates the Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana to generate substantial revenues for itself and the local area. It projects some $35 million in gaming tax revenue for the City of Bossier and more than $168 million for the State of Louisiana in the first five years of operation.

Local Market Impact

The facility is expected to create around 750 construction jobs and a similar number of permanent positions in gaming and hospitality, contributing significantly to local employment.

“Live! Casino will be a transformative development that will bring a first-class gaming and entertainment experience to millions of visitors, create significant new jobs, and generate millions of dollars in economic benefits for the community for generations to come,” Cordish said in a press release.

“I’d like to thank state and local officials, in particular Mayor Chandler and Ronnie Johns, for their continued support for this project.”

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by notable figures, including Louisiana State senator Barrow Peacock, Bossier City mayor Thomas Chandler, and Louisiana Gaming Control Board chairman Ronnie Johns, indicating strong local and state support for this new casino.

The local area already has two competing casino resorts – Margaritaville Casino Resorts and Harrah’s Bossier, which is operated by Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment.