Louisiana
When will Live! open Louisiana casino in Bossier? First slot machines roll onto gaming floor
More than 1,000 slot machines are being loaded onto the Live! Casino & Hotel gaming floor this week in Bossier City as Cordish Co. prepares to open its new Louisiana resort.
The big question: When will the jackpots begin ringing?
“We’re still on target for early 2025,” Joshua Robinson, vice president of marketing, told USA Today Network Thursday without revealing the specific target date. “We’re getting closer and closer every day.”
Construction on the $270-million project continues for all phases — casino, event spaces, hotel and restaurants — as well as the hiring of 750 permanent employees.
“When the first (slot machines) hit the floor, this became an active gaming space,” said Robinson, which means specific security has to be in place and nobody under 21 can go onto the gaming floor even during construction. “Seeing these machines coming onto the gaming floor is another milestone.”
Robinson said the slot machines represent the favorite gaming consumer brands in the industry, from Dragon Cash to the traditional Double Diamond.
In all, the casino will offer 47,000 square feet of gaming space.
Live! will be the first land-based casino in the Shreveport-Bossier market.
Cordish’s top executives have promised that the new Live! Casino will be a destination resort that will attract conventions and tourists from beyond Louisiana’s borders.
“It’s going to have a quality and energy that when you walk into this property, you’ll feel like you’re in a premier casino and resort in the top gaming markets, including Las Vegas,” said Jon Cordish, a partner with The Cordish Companies, in a previous interview with USA Today Network.
The available jobs are posted at Louisiana.LiveCasinoHotel.com/Careers and include positions in every operation of the resort, including hotel, gaming, finance, marketing, human resources, information technologies, food and beverage, facilities, security and surveillance and more.
Robinson said customers will experience “a wow factor” when they walk in the door, from the gaming floor to the entertainment venues to the restaurants like The Prime Rib and Luk Fu.
“It’s going to be a fully immersive entertainment destination,” he said.
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
Louisiana
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Louisiana
Thinking of retiring in Louisiana? These are 5 best places to do so
Think tank proposes capping Social Security benefits at $100,000
A Washington think tank proposed capping annual Social Security benefits at $100,000 for couples as a way to shrink a looming deficit in the retirement trust fund.
When it comes to retiring, the best places to do so often are affordable, have a high quality of life and access to quality healthcare.
If you’re looking for a place to retire, Niche has identified the best places for retirees in Louisiana.
In its list, Niche has taken into account factors like weather, crime rates, housing costs and access to amenities.
The 5 best places to retire in Louisiana according to Niche
These are the top five best places to retire in Louisiana, according to Niche.
1. Oak Hills Place
Oak Hills Place is a suburb of Baton Rouge and is the overall best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb, located in East Baton Rouge Parish, has a population of 9,038 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. The area is highly rated for families, diversity, as well as health and fitness. Here, the median home value is $437,900 and the median rent is $1,422, according to Niche.
2. Westminster
Westminster is another suburb of Baton Rouge and is the second-best place to retire in Louisiana. Located in East Baton Rouge Parish, this suburb has a population of 2,559 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. This area is highly rated for nightlife, diversity, families, health and fitness, as well as commute. The median home value here is $266,100 and the median rent is $1,482, says Niche.
3. River Ridge
River Ridge is a suburb of New Orleans, located in Jefferson Parish, and is the third-best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb has a population of 13,312 and offers residents a dense suburban feel. The area is highly rated for public schools, family, nightlife and diversity. The median home value is $357,400 and the median rent is $1,127, according to Niche.
4. Westlake
Westlake is a town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. With a population of 4,743, this town offers residents a rural feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, jobs, cost of living, nightlife and weather. Here, the median home value is $166,100 and the median rent is $1,049, says Niche.
5. Prien
Prien is another town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. This town has a population of 7,119 and offers residents a suburban rural mix feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, nightlife and weather. The median home value here is $278,000 and the median rent is $1,292, according to Niche.
Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
Louisiana
Louisiana Tech seeks partnership with Lincoln Parish Library to help students
A motorcyclist is recovering after a West Monroe crash involving an 18-wheeler, while Chevron won a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling shifting a major coastal lawsuit back to lower courts. Ouachita deputies arrested a suspect and recovered more than a dozen guns, Mississippi passed a new school social-media safety requirement, and Louisiana’s House advanced a unanimous state budget. A new recovery center opened, and multiple weekend events are underway across northeast Louisiana, plus national updates include stock-market stress guidance, a Ford F-150 recall, Spirit Airlines uncertainty, and tax-refund tips.
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