Louisiana gambling bills to undergo legislative test
The Senate Judiciary B Committee is expected to hear today four gambling bills that would change the current casino regulations in the state.
US.- Louisiana Senate Judiciary B Committee will hear today four gambling bills that are set to change operations of two riverboat casinos in Lake Charles. One of the main points of the proposed changes is the accommodation of larger slot machines with more features in the state.
Senate Bills 316 and 320, the biggest bills to be discussed today, were introduced by Senator Ronnie Johns, R-Sulphur. They would impact the L’auberge Casino Resort and the Golden Nugget facilities, both located in Lake Charles. It is believed that the other 13 riverboat casinos in Louisiana would also be affected with these bills.
SB 316 establishes that riverboats would be able to apply to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to locate their casinos within 1,200 feet of their licensed berths, but their gaming areas can’t exceed 2,365 gambling positions. The change would replace the current 30,000-square-foot requirement for gambling machines.
The bill also eliminates the requirement that riverboats can’t be permanently docked. SB 320 treats promotional pays, which are non-cashable vouchers, or other cash equivalents provided to patrons. As that money is also taxes, casinos consider that double taxation. Johns said that he’s working with operators to come up with a solution to lower the tax without costing Louisiana US#18 million collected annually from the promotional pays.
SB 417 wants to move the DiamondJacks riverboat casino in Bossier City to Tangipahoa Parish, while SB 321 deals with gaming positions, and would eliminate the requirement of paddle-wheels.
