Last February, Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana debuted on the footprint of the old Diamond Jacks Riverboat. The new, $270 million casino complex has 47,000 square feet of gaming space featuring more than 40 live-action table games, a high-limits room, 1,000 slots and electronic table games plus a sportsbook.
Also part of the mix: a 12-story, luxury 549-room hotel, resort-style pool and fitness center, 30,000 square feet of best-in-class dining and entertainment options and, most importantly for groups, a 25,000-square-foot Event Center that can accommodate groups of 12 to nearly 1,200.
Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana is the most recent of Shreveport-Bossier City’s seven casinos, but what really sets Live! apart (aside from Louisiana Downs, which is a “racino,” or a racetrack and casino) is that its gaming floor doesn’t float in the Red River—it sits on dry land.
Water-Free Gaming Is the Trend
The possibility of land-based casinos originated in 1996 with the revised Louisiana Economic Development and Gaming Corporation Act (Land-based Casino), which allows land-based casinos under certain conditions, provided they are located no further than 1,200 feet from water.
Since that time, the move toward land-based casinos has become a trend. In the past four years, three Louisiana riverboat casinos, including the Belle of Baton Rouge, have transitioned to land.
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Last March, Belle’s temporary casino floor, featuring 10,000 square feet of gaming with a large sports lounge and multiple restaurants, opened on land. During July 2025, the casino’s year-over-year winnings quadrupled, its $8.1 million representing 36% of the Baton Rouge casino market that month. The permanent casino is expected to be finalized by the end of the year, featuring a 25,000-square-foot gaming and entertainment complex as part of the $141 million expansion.
A Bonus for Meeting Groups
“Many [residents] may not realize that tourism helps fund local services through tax revenue, supports local jobs and brings vitality to our community,” said Stacy Brown, president and CEO of Visit Shreveport-Bossier, commenting on the Shreveport-Bossier Annual Report on Tourism Growth. “Every visitor we welcome contributes to making Shreveport-Bossier a better place to live.”
Visitors make it a better place to meet, too. Like many residents, meeting attendees may not be gamblers themselves, but they certainly appreciate the benefits underwritten by gaming’s cash flow, which result in developments throughout the city that enhance infrastructure to meet business-group needs.
“Budget-conscious groups are seeking out smaller destinations,” said Geraldine Bordelon, senior vice president of destination sales at Visit Baton Rouge. “Groups are requesting larger financial incentives to address rising costs. Additionally, they are seeking a diverse range of concessions from both the convention center and the hotels.”
In Baton Rouge, the renovated 10-story, 242-room Bally’s (formerly Belle) Baton Rouge Hotel, which opened in May ahead of the casino expansion, now offers luxury suites, a new fitness center and a VIP lounge, significantly expanding the number of elevated full-service properties available in the area.
These developments also make events like the U.S. Bowling Congress—a citywide in Baton Rouge that attracted 58,420 bowlers over 150 days of bowling and brought in an estimated 56,183 total contracted rooms—possible in the destination.
“During the tournament, we successfully hosted eight additional conventions in a different section of the convention center,” Bordelon said, emphasizing the capabilities of Baton Rouge’s meetings infrastructure. “This brought an estimated 20,000 extra attendees to the facility and generated over 7,000 additional room nights for the area.”
The desire to showcase new developments and what they are capable of is a bonus for planners, too, as destinations are taking more of a hands-on approach to fam trips and site visits to tailor the experience based on what makes the destination stand out.
“We’re seeing a growing trend toward interactive and personalized fam tours,” said David Bradley, vice president of business development for Visit Shreveport-Bossier (VSB). “Our approach is to ensure every visit reflects the heart and hospitality of Shreveport-Bossier. Each hotel and venue curates a signature experience, allowing meeting planners to truly feel what makes our community unique."
Food-Focused
“Being in Louisiana, food is our No. 1 asset,” boasts Visit Baton Rouge’s Bordelon. Louisiana designated 2025 as its official Year of Food, and though the year is winding down, nothing ever stops the Bayou State from serving its unique, sinfully delicious cuisine.
Casinos offer options that showcase the best of Louisiana’s Creole cuisine, and they’ve also introduced fine dining and celebrity-driven restaurants, like various hotels have done throughout the state.
[Related: Meetings Today LIVE! South Gives Attendees the Authentic New Orleans Experience]
Hotels in Shreveport-Bossier range from full- to limited-service, but association and SMERF groups can add fine dining and entertainment to their choices while remaining on budget. But most times, the best way to experience authentic flavors in a destination is to eat like a local.
Visit Shreveport-Bossier’s hands-on approach to fam trips “has been very successful in showing planners how we tailor each event to their goals while making it memorable and personal,” Bradley said, and curated, authentic local food experiences have been a part of that initiative.
“Groups can enjoy hands-on cooking demonstrations with chef Hardette Harris, the creator of the official meal of North Louisiana, who offers soulful storytelling alongside James Beard-caliber cuisine,” Bradley said. “Another standout is chef Niema DiGrazia, a Food Network Beat Bobby Flay winner who introduces guests to her Afro-Fusion style, blending West African and Cajun influences in unforgettable dining experiences.”
What’s on the Drawing Board
Both Baton Rouge and Shreveport-Bossier have big plans for the future.
In late August, Baton Rouge’s Metro Council approved Chicago-based Hunden Partner as the City-Parish Owner’s Advisor for the Raising Cane’s River Center convention center expansion and a headquarters hotel.
“An expanded downtown convention center and a new full-service headquarters hotel will transform the riverfront into the vibrant destination we’ve always envisioned,” said Jill Kidder, president and CEO of Visit Baton Rouge. “The Metro Council’s vote to affirm the Project Oversight Committee’s selection of Hunden as the Owner’s Advisor brings us closer to leapfrogging the competition in the economically impactful convention market.”
Meanwhile, Shreveport-Bossier is seeking to enlarge its sports tourism market by building a $10 million dedicated pickleball complex. A proposal for the center was approved in September by the Caddo Parish Commission. Plans call for 19 lighted outdoor pickleball courts (eight with shade structures and one championship court with seating for up to 1,000 spectators), two more courts within a clubhouse, 500 parking spaces and a walking/jogging trail, all to be built in Caddo Parish.
Proponents of the center note that pickleball has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. for four years. The pickleball complex is a public project and is expected to be paid for through the sale of revenue bonds. It is expected to start construction next year, with an opening projected for 2027.
“Caddo Parish Parks and Recreation is also investing several million dollars into upgrading existing parks across the parish,” said Patrick Wesley, director of parks and recreation for Caddo Parish. “These enhancements include revitalized trails, new pickleball and cornhole courts, updated playgrounds and improved equestrian trails, all free for public use.”
In addition, the upcoming Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park will debut in December with a state-of-the-art interactive nature exhibit and event venue.
“It’s the first of its kind in Louisiana,” Wesley said. “This project is truly going to redefine outdoor recreation and educational experiences in our region.”
