Louisiana Downs continues its transformation
Kevin Preston bought Louisiana Downs Racetrack and Casino about two years ago. He sat down recently to reflect on where the operation has been and to look ahead at what’s on the horizon.
“You always want more to happen sooner,” Preston said. “But if I look back at two years, we’re definitely where I thought we’d be. It’s a testament to the team, their perseverance and passion for this place. There’s a reason why they are here now. They have that reenergized feeling.”
Since taking over at Louisiana Downs, Preston and his team have brought in more than 125 modern slot machines to the casino floor. They also have opened two new dining options – The Inside Rail Sportsbook Bar & Grill and Brew Coffee & Beer Bar. And improvements have been made to the racetrack and barn areas, too.
“In order for us to grow, we couldn’t put new on top of old,” Preston said. “We had to build from the ground up. All of that stuff is extremely expensive, but it’s stuff that customers don’t see.
“Now, in this second half of this transformation, they are seeing the new slots, they are seeing the restaurants, they are seeing Brew – the coffee shop. They are seeing new things on the track we’re doing from a software standpoint and IT, where they are able to see the horses go around the track. Different things that are allowing our customers and gamers to bet a little easier.”
So much has changed that Preston sometimes finds it hard to believe it’s only been two years.
“It feels longer,” he said. “Whenever you take over from a large corporation like Caesars, there’s always challenges and things as you’re changing and remodeling and doing. There are things you find, and now you’re like, ‘We’ve got to replace this, fix this, change this, do this.’ The first year and a half has really been about getting to know the property from the inside out.
“Thankfully, we’ve been able to replace a lot of things from an infrastructure standpoint that needed to be replaced – all the IT, all the surveillance, all the slot system. Everything that was ancient that had never been touched for 10 or 12 years.”
It has not been without challenges, he said. Supply chain issues slowed the rollout of new slot machines.
“Instead of waiting four to six weeks for new slot machines, we were waiting 14 to 16 weeks,” he said. “So we couldn’t get them on the floor right away.”
But that did not hold them back. “What are you going to do?” he asked.
“Are you going to spend all this money on marketing for the same place we purchased, or wait until the new restaurants are in, the new slot product is there, and really give that wow factor to why we want customers to come try us?”
Preston credits the staff throughout the facility with making the transition a good one.
“We’ve got a tremendous team of loyal employees who have been here a long time combined with some new executives we hired,” he said. “I think that is, in and of itself, something that will guide you to success. If you have the stability of a great team and great executives, that can carry our message to our customers.”
Some of those employees have been there since the track opened in 1974.
“When you talk about team members who have been here 20, 25, 30, 40, even 50 years, it’s incredible,” Preston said. “Who stays at a job that long? But we have those employees here. It resonates with the customers. They go and see Patty or Beverly or whoever it is, and you’re able to have that connection of ‘How’s your kids? How’s your grandkids?’ It’s having that family environment we’ve created here, but it’s also having that relationship with your customers that continue to come back because of our team.
Preston said the new management team did have to prove themselves and their vision to the employees. “Any time you go through an acquisition, the team is skeptical” about new owners doing what they say they will do, he said.
“They saw that what we said, we’re doing,” he added. “That makes it even easier for them to go out there and say, ‘You need to be here’ or ‘You need to come back’ or ‘You need to check out what we’re doing here.’ They feel proud about it.”
The customers also are noticing the changes in positive ways. Preston said slot revenues are up 15 percent through June, and racing revenues are up 22 percent.
“The customers like to see money going back into the facility, and the money going back in the racing side,” he said.
Preston said the racing side of the operations had been neglected under previous ownership. Winning back the horse racing fans was a key goal for him.
“We really do care as much about the racing side of it as the casino side of it,” he said. “I think that’s where it fell off for a long time. There wasn’t really a lot of concern for the racing side. We are doing things from a racing perspective that other tracks are following, specifically from a marketing standpoint. That’s where I feel proud. We’re doing things that other tracks are following. That’s pretty cool for us to do that, even though we were on the low end of the totem pole.”
More changes are coming soon as well. “Now we’re putting the cherry on top,” Preston said. “We’ve got the slot product and the restaurants. We’re replacing all the carpeting. We’ve got a stage that’s pretty much done right now. So we will have live entertainment on Friday and Saturday. There’s a lot of great stuff ahead.
Preston said he is in talks with Karl Malone to bring a cigar lounge to Louisiana Downs, and an announcement is expected soon about a new restaurant coming to the facility.
“I would love for it to happen overnight,” he said of all the changes. “And sometimes I think others would like it to happen overnight. But with a place like this, it just can’t.”
Louisiana Downs recently hosted the Red River Balloon Rally. Preston said its location makes it well-suited to host that and similar events in the future.
“We’re not downtown,” he said. “The size of our facility allows us to do a lot more things. Different things to get people to come here. If we get them here, and they enjoy the experience, they might not be our customer, but they are going to go tell other people about us.”
Louisiana Downs’ own signature event – Super Derby – returns this year on Sept. 2 with a week of activities at the track. The festivities will include the Weiner Dog Races on Labor Day.
“Super Derby is back,” Preston said. “It’s going to be on a national scale. Hopefully, it will continue to grow after this.”
Preston is excited to celebrate the progress his team has made in two years. And he eagerly looks to the future at Louisiana Downs.
“We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing,” he said. “The numbers show we’re doing the right thing. The feedback were getting shows we’re doing the right thing. Everyone talks about back in the day, when cars were lined up outside the track. We might not get to that point again, but we’re going to try.”
