A bowling tournament brings a $125M boost to Baton Rouge

The U.S. Bowling Congress Open Championships delivered more than $125 million in economic impact to Baton Rouge during its four-month run at the Raising Cane’s River Center.

Mayor Sid Edwards and Visit Baton Rouge announced the results Monday at a news conference held at the River Center, noting that the tournament’s impact represents a 14% increase over the last time the event was hosted in the city, in 2012.

Held from March through July, the tournament attracted more than 58,000 registered bowlers and their fans. Their spending at hotels, restaurants, retail stores, gas stations, the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, coffee shops, and other businesses, officials say, generated local tax revenue to support infrastructure, public safety and education.

“Events like the USBC Championships show what happens when preparation meets opportunity,” Edwards says. “Visitors came to Baton Rouge and invested directly in our local economy by supporting restaurants, hotels, small businesses and the workers behind them. That kind of impact matters for our residents and improves quality of life across the parish.”

While final July figures are still pending, hotel occupancy from March through June rose 6.2% year over year, according to Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Jill Kidder. Nathaniel Tannehill, general manager of the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center and president of the Baton Rouge Lodging Association, said the Hilton—USBC’s headquarters hotel—logged more than 9,000 room nights during the 150-day event, generating $1.5 million in room revenue.

Visitor spending extended beyond lodging. More than 29% of visitor dollars went to local restaurants, and over 32% of attendees visited shopping destinations such as the Mall of Louisiana, Perkins Rowe and Towne Center.

The 2025 tournament drew more than 11,600 teams—the highest participation level since the event was last held in Baton Rouge—with total estimated attendance reaching 146,050 over the course of the event.

“An event of this scale underscores our need for continued investment in future events like this,” Kidder says. “Investments made more than a decade ago are paying dividends in 2025 for our parish and our residents. Imagine the impact the investments we make now can have in years to come.”

The final bowlers of the tournament were scheduled to compete on Monday afternoon.

This story was originally published by Daily Report on July 28. To keep up with Baton Rouge business news, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.