Belle, Amelia casino could end up under different companies

The Belle of Baton Rouge and the Amelia Belle in St. Mary Parish probably won’t end up swapping riverboats because of the ongoing bankruptcy filing involving Tropicana Entertainment. Bubba Willis, GM at Belle of Baton Rouge, says the Amelia Belle likely will remain a Columbia Sussex property in the reorganization, not under Tropicana Casinos and Resorts, which holds the Belle. The two properties won’t be part of the same company, so swapping them is not a viable option. Willis says Tropicana is focused on emerging from bankruptcy and weathering the bad economy. The Belle is a good producer for Tropicana, but whether the parent company will stick with the current vessel in Baton Rouge, bring in a new one, or do something else, remains to be seen, he says. Willis says revenue at the Belle was down a bit in January, but February looks good.—David Jacobs