The announcement that the 2025 Super Bowl will be held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans seems to have been the starting gun for a leading entertainment and gaming corporation to get to work immediately. Looking to make the most of this unique opportunity, Caesars New Orleans plans to expand its current entertainment and leisure facilities at New Orleans’ riverfront. Having already secured regulatory approval, the company is now focused on adding a 15-floor hotel and expanding the existing casino still this fall to meet the rising demand expected to peak in time for the Big Game set for February 2025.
Riverfront Development Extends Compliance:
Samir Mowad, the casino’s general manager, reportedly said that the 340-room hotel will be located at Canal Street to join recent riverfront developments like the 2021 Four Season Hotel, upgrades such as Spanish Plaza, and Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium expanded in 2023. As reported by Nola.com, Mowad announced these plans after the latest legislation had allowed a one-year extension for Caesars to reach compliance with an employment rule.“Caesars is making a significant investment in hotels and restaurants,” Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans reportedly told the state Senate Committee recently.
Employment Rule:
Sen.Duplessis is the sponsor of Senate Bill 277, which allows an additional year for Caesars to ensure local employment. As reported by the source, the bill comes after Mowad argued that the non-compliance was due to disruptions caused by renovation works. Additional one-year time is granted to meet the long-time state law requirement for the New Orleans’ only land-based casino to keep the workforce at a level of a minimum of 2,400 to ensure benefits to the local community.
The requirement referred to Harrah’s casino opened in the 1990s. After it had been acquired by Caesars, the Legislature allowed less employment in 2022, when Caesars started expanding the gaming floor. Now, the state requires full compliance until mid-2025, with Senate Bill 277 clearing the Senate Judiciary B Committee and heading to the full Senate to become law.
Work in Progress:
Meanwhile, Caesars New Orleans continues the expansion to have around 60% of the gambling floor complete currently. According to Mowad, the company has yet to open three food outlets and two restaurants to reach the required milestone. “We’re literally renovating every square inch of what we had,” Mowad reportedly said. “Once the restaurants and hotels open up, we’ll get back to full employment.”
The state of Louisiana has monitored the employment rule since 2019 when it approved a 30-year gaming license extension for Caesars. The company reportedly also became eligible to open restaurants in the state until 2054. According to Nola.com, Caesars undertook to launch a hotel, invest at least $325 million and pay the state at least $65 million a year over the 30-year extension period.
Workforce Landscape:
Considering the current 15-floor hotel development and gaming floor expansion works, the Legislature approved the one-year extension for Caesars to comply with the employment rule. As reported, the company proceeded with the announcement that it would hire an additional 500 employees once the hotel gets launched at Canal Street.
But Mowad seems reluctant to confirm the figure, claiming troubles in finding qualified workers.“Definitely the landscape of the world has changed since COVID,” he reportedly said. The source cites the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to compare the $23 million in gross gaming revenue generated by Caesars in February 2024 with the $26 million level reached in the month before COVID-19 to state the case.