Riverboat casinos could place slots on land
Riverboat Economic Development and Gaming Task Force chairman will back riverboat casinos in their slot machine request.
US.- Ronnie Jones, chairman of Riverboat Economic Development and Gaming Task Force, has announced that he would recommend Louisiana Legislature allow riverboats to place slot machines on land (up to 1,200 feet from the shore) to generate more revenue and compete with casinos in Mississippi. He announced the end of the task force´s job and said that the control board would not take any position on the proposed legislation because it is a regulator.
If they succeed, riverboat casinos will turn into a Mississippi competitor with a gaming offering on the water as well as 1,200 feet from the shore.
“The riverboat licensees will not just be able to throw slot machines into a meeting room,” Jones said about the potential addition to the sector, which is the fourth largest contributor to the state’s budget, generating US$3 billion to US$4 billion annually in tax revenue for the state. According to the task force, hopes to stir up more business at the 15 riverboat properties could ultimately help ease the state’s $1 billion budget shortfall.
The task force further recommended changing the statutory definition of “gaming area,” which is currently set at 30,000 square feet. Proponents for the change say this description no longer meets the needs of today’s digital machines which are becoming larger and more interactive, including social media features.
