Gaming license given to Live! Casino & Hotel at Diamond Jacks property

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board voted unanimously Thursday to grant LRGC Gaming Investors, LCC, an affiliate of The Cordish Companies, the regulatory approval required for gaming operations in Louisiana.

“The Louisiana Gaming Control Board is pleased to announce the approval of The Cordish Companies’ acquisition of the license from the former Diamond Jacks property in Bossier City,” said Ronnie Johns, chairman of the board.

“We’re grateful to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board for their approval and thank them for their consideration and enthusiastic support through this process,” said Joe Weinberg, managing partner of The Cordish Companies.

This approval allows Cordish to finalize the acquisition process of Diamond Jacks Casino & Hotel, which has stood vacant since the spring of 2020.

Diamond Jacks was the first casino to open in the Shreveport-Bossier market in 1994 and will be the first land-based casino in the Shreveport-Bossier market in 2025.

Cordish plans to develop Live! a casino resort and entertainment destination, replacing the existing casino riverboat and renovating the hotel rooms and public space.

“Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will be a transformative development that will bring a first-class gaming, dining, entertainment, and hospitality experience, create significant new jobs, and generate millions of dollars in economic benefits for the community," Weinberg said. "We are extremely excited to continue moving forward with this project and deliver a world-class destination to the region.”

Here is an overview of the plans for the new Live! Casino:

• more than 47,000-square-feet of gaming space including 1,000+ slots and electronic table games and 40+ live action table games
• a sportsbook
• an upscale 550-room hotel, resort pool and fitness center
• a 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, multi-purpose Event Center for top name entertainment, meeting, conventions, non-profit and social gatherings
• structured and surface parking
• 30,000 square feet of best-in-class dining entertainment venues including 6+ new food and beverage outlets featuring nationally acclaimed concepts Sports & Social and PBR Cowboy Bar; Luk Fu, an Asian restaurant; a fine dining steakhouse; and more.

This results in a $270 million investment.

“Cordish has an exceptional reputation in providing first-rate casino experiences as well as hospitality and entertainment venues across the country. We are pleased with their decision to bring their Live! brand to the State of Louisiana," Johns said. "We feel comfortable that their commitment to a first-class $270 million project will help grow the Bossier City/Shreveport gaming market. We welcome The Cordish Companies and look forward to working with them to bring this project to a reality to open sometime in 2025.”

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.