NEW ORLEANS -- Gamblers lost $3.28 billion playing state-licensed casino games during Louisiana's just-completed fiscal year, a tad higher than the previous year, state police reported Tuesday.

Associated Press

Casinos, along with video poker machines in off-track betting parlors, truck stops and bars and restaurants took in $3.23 billion from players in the 2006-07 fiscal year. The figures are gross winnings from gamblers and do not include expenses and taxes.

During the 2007-08 fiscal year that ended June 30, riverboat casinos won $1.8 billion, Harrah's downtown land casino in New Orleans won $419.1 million and casinos at race tracks won another $384.4 million. Gamblers lost another $674.1 million in video poker machines.

The biggest year-to-year gainer was Harrah's downtown casino in New Orleans, which won $20.2 million more in 2007-08 than the previous year's take of $398.9 million.

Race track casinos, which only have slot machines, won $384.4 million in 2007-08, compared with $365.9 million the previous year. The Fair Grounds slot casino came on line in late 2007. Riverboat revenue totaled $1.8 billion for the just-completed year, up a bit from $1.78 billion in 2006-07. Video poker machines took a drop to $674.1 million from $684.7 million.

For the latest year, riverboat gambling translated into $387.9 million in taxes for the state, while Harrah's tossed in $90.2 million. The state collected $315.2 million from the track slots while $69.2 million went to racing purses and horsemen's associations. Video poker taxes, a portion of which goes to local governments, accounted for $201.2 million.

However, in June, Louisiana's casino markets tracked national revenue trends, which have been hit by high gasoline prices and the overall weak economy. Last month, the casinos won $214.1 million, down from $235.2 million in May and $219.6 million in June 2007.

Shreveport-Bossier City's five riverboats, along with the Louisiana Downs casino, won $68.8 million last month, down from $76.3 million in May and $71.2 million in June 2007.

The other market heavily dependent upon Texas gamblers, Lake Charles, saw its three riverboats and the Delta Downs casino win a bit more: $56.9 million last month, down from $60 million in May, but up a bit from $56.5 million in June 2007.

The New Orleans market, which has two riverboats and the Fair Grounds casino along with Harrah's, won $56.4 million last month, down from $64.2 million in May and $57.6 million in June 2007 when the track casino had not opened.

The two riverboats in Baton Rouge won $18.4 million in June, down from $19.8 million in May and $20.1 million in June 2007. The lone riverboat in Morgan City won $4.6 million, down from $5 million in May and $4.7 million in June 2007 and the Evangeline Downs track casino at Opelousas won $9 million last month, down from $9.8 million in May and $9.1 million in June 2007.

The figures do not include the three Indian reservation casinos in Louisiana, which are not required to report their winnings to the public.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)