Southwest Louisiana continues to bet big on gambling.

The state’s biggest casino market, the Lake Charles area, is growing further with the return of a third casino, the former Isle of Capri. Destroyed by Hurricane Laura in 2020, the former riverboat is now reopening on land as the Horseshoe, adding over 700 jobs and further growing the over $1 billion tax base the industry contributes to the state budget.

Gambling accounts for about 10% of state general fund revenues. And the Lake Charles area, despite having only two active casinos after Laura, has continued to play an outsized role. Last year, the Golden Nugget and L’Auberge together paid $126 million in fees to the state, according to the state Gaming Control Board’s annual report.