PENN’s $195M Hollywood Project Brings Second Land-Based Casino to New Orleans

New Orleans will welcome a second land-based casino in the coming years with a new gaming venue from Penn Entertainment. A flood wall built by the Army Corps of Engineers after Hurricane Katrina to protect the New Orleans area from future storms. A gate that will be closed during storms allows access to the Boomtown Casino New Orleans in Harvey. (Image: Getty) On Monday (Aug. 16), Pennsylvania-based Penn Entertainment announced a $195 million investment to relocate its Boomtown Casino & Hotel New Orleans riverboat to a brick-and-mortar facility. The proposed 145,000-square-foot structure, if approved by state gaming regulators, would be located on landside property adjacent to the present riverboat and open in 2029. “The new Hollywood Casino New Orleans will represent our fourth landside move in recent years, following the recent openings of Hollywood Casino Aurora and Hollywood Casino Joliet in Illinois and the expected opening of Hollywood Casino Council Bluffs in Iowa in 2028,” said Jay Snowden, president and CEO of Penn Entertainment. “As with our previous relocations, we expect our new facility to enhance the customer experience and strengthen the property’s competitive position in the New Orleans market,” Snowden added. Along with Boomtown, Penn operates four other casinos in Louisiana, including L’Auberge casino resorts in Lake Charles and Baton Rouge, and Margaritaville Resort Casino and Boomtown Casino Hotel in Bossier City. Second New Orleans Casino… Kind Of Penn Entertainment purchased Boomtown New Orleans through its 2018 acquisition of Pinnacle Entertainment for $2.8 billion in cash and stock. Though the riverboat has included New Orleans in its name since it opened in 1994, the casino hotel is actually located in Harvey, roughly five miles south of the city across the Mississippi River. In 2018, Louisiana lawmakers passed legislation allowing riverboat casino license holders to move their gaming venues inland, so long as the landside venues remain within 1,200 feet of their original berths. 1,200 feet is about a one-quarter mile. Penn plans to pay for the $195 million Hollywood Casino New Orleans project with cash on hand but “may also access its balance sheet or other sources of liquidity.” Penn’s landside move for Boomtown follows Boyd Gaming earlier this month announcing a brick-and-mortar development for its Amelia Belle riverboat. Amelia is 60 air miles southwest of New Orleans. Boomtown is much closer to the French Quarter and stands to more directly impact Harrah’s New Orleans with a new, larger land-based casino. Penn says Hollywood Casino New Orleans will feature 875 slot machines, 45 live dealer table games, a retail sportsbook, and multiple dining options. The Boomtown hotel, with its 150 guestrooms and suites, will become a part of Hollywood Casino New Orleans. Boomtown Needs a Spark Penn Entertainment’s investment in Boomtown comes as the riverboat has seen a multiyear downward trajectory in terms of annual gross gaming revenue (GGR). Before the pandemic, Boomtown’s annual GGR averaged around $130 million to $140 million. During the state’s fiscal year that ended June 30, 2026, the casino’s revenue totaled less than $104.6 million. The post PENN’s $195M Hollywood Project Brings Second Land-Based Casino to New Orleans appeared first on Casino.org.