Successful performance of Louisiana casinos

Louisiana's state licensed casinos won a bit over USD 234 million from gamblers last month. That's a sharp jump from the February 2006 figure of just over USD 212 million.

A big jump was recorded by Harrah's New Orleans land casino, which boosted its take by over USD 7 million.

State gambling regulators were told that was due to the Mardi Gras season coming early, combined with the NBA All-Star game in the city last month.

There are also two more casino outlets open than a year ago, the Amelia Belle riverboat casino near Morgan City and a slot machine casino at the New Orleans Fair Grounds.

In other casino news, Pinnacle Entertainment received approval from the state's Gaming Control Board on Tuesday to begin construction of its second riverboat casino resort in Lake Charles. The USD 350 million project includes the casino boat and a 400-room hotel.