The gambling industry is a major taxpayer in Louisiana, but only one major change in its operations has taken place over the last 25 years. Riverboats haven’t been required to sail since April 1, 2001, but other major changes could be on the way.
Louisiana state Senator Ronnie Johns recently said he plans to submit legislation for the 2018 session that would allow riverboats and other casinos to compete more effectively with Native American casinos. Johns noted since riverboat casinos were legalized 25 years ago, state gambling law has been revised only once: riverboats have been allowed to remain docked since April 1, 2001.
Now casinos want to move ashore and offer gambling floors larger than 30,000 square feet. Native American casinos do not have similar requirements. Newer slot machines are larger and require more space. In addition, casinos want to stop having to pay taxes on promotional money used to attract gamblers to their hotels and other facilities.
Three of the state’s 15 riverboat casinos are located in Johns’ Senate district. He said Golden Nugget in Lake Charles had to have a paddle wheel, a pilothouse and a crew, even though “It’s sitting on a mud flat to make it legal.” Johns said the state’s antiquated laws can be updated without expanding gambling. It remains a source of good-paying jobs for state residents, he noted. In 2016 gambling revenue totaled $916 million, beating mineral revenue of $581 million.
Louisiana Gaming Control Board Director Ronnie Jones chairs a task force that’s reviewing potential gambling law changes.
Still, gambling has its downside, a recent Advocate editorial noted. The newspaper stated it has “lost count of the number of solid citizens and public officials who have become embroiled in bankruptcy or embezzlement because of gambling addiction.”
