Summary
- $100 million will be spent on the project.
- The casino should be open on land by spring 2024.
- The original casino opened at Lake Pontchartrain in 1994.
Over the past few years, casinos have been moving to land from their water ways in Louisiana. Legislation has allowed casinos to apply for the change and operators are taking advantage.
The next venue to make the move will be the Treasure Chest Casino in Kenner, Louisiana. The riverboat casino started the process earlier this year and has announced that it will be finished by spring of 2024.
Twice the Size
The new venue will be huge, twice the size of the current casino. It will feature new dining options, with four spaces for guests to try. A convention and meeting center is included in the plans plus a FanDuel sportsbook. The operator will spend $100 million to make the changes.
The original Treasure Chest Casino made its debut in 1994 and offered 25,000 square feet of gaming space. Players could travel to Lake Pontchartrain and enjoy quality slots and table games. The convention area will be a great spot for business owners as well as live entertainment.
Remaining Open Through Construction
The current casino will remain open as the land-based venue is being constructed. This will give players a spot to enjoy while they anxiously await the new venue. The new facility is currently being built in the large parking lot of the riverboat casino. It will be placed on the dry side of the levee.
Officials of the casino are happy to be on land and consider themselves a neighborhood casino. With the change, the venue will be able to accommodate more guests and should become a more destination style casino rather than a simple stop among travelers.
The new land-based venue can be larger than the riverboat casino due to the law change in 2018. Now, casinos that move to land can have a larger footprint. The Treasure Chest is one of five allowed to make the move from sea to land.
The Horseshoe in Westlake moved to land late last year while the Hollywood Baton Rouge will move this fall. The Diamond Jacks in Bossier City and the Belle in Baton Rouge are also expected to make the move. The transition is an exciting one as players will have more space to play and operators will have a more secure property to offer guests.
Riverboat casinos are always fun but come with a different set of problems. Being on the water can require constant repairs and issues from the weather, especially if a hurricane comes through. It is much more convenient in such weather to be on land with an updated facility.
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