This week marks 25 years since Harrah’s New Orleans casino, now known as Caesars, opened in its location at the foot of Canal Street. The building opened to the public on Oct. 30, 1999.
It took seven years to get to that point. The state Legislature approved gambling in 1992, and Harrah’s opened a temporary casino in May 1995 in the Municipal Auditorium. It closed after six months, and the project spent three years in bankruptcy reorganization. Finally, the $381 million casino opened on the site of what had been the Rivergate convention facility, which was demolished in 1995. At the time it was Harrah’s 19th — and the largest — casino in its portfolio.
“We had some long days and some long nights, but we finally got here,” Mayor Marc Morial said at a VIP grand opening event, according to The Times-Picayune. “Like a phoenix, this project has risen from the ashes…after being written off by so many.”
The grand opening to the general public was preceded by free concerts at Spanish Plaza by Fats Domino, Clarence “Frogman” Henry and Deacon John as well as fireworks along the Mississippi River.
In 2016, Harrah’s opened a 450-room luxury hotel adjacent to the casino. In 2020, as Caesars Entertainment Inc. became the parent company of Harrahs, the hotel and casino launched a $430 million renovation project which was unveiled last week.
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