Louisiana’s riverboat casinos to hit shore

The state House passed a bill to change the casino landscape and sent it to the Governor for final approval.

The riverboat casinos in Louisiana will move to land in the near future as the state House passed a bill 54-41 in favour of the bill that proposed the move. The bill, Senate Bill 316, has been sent to Governor John Bel Edwards for final approval. The bill has also proposed to modernise the industry and rework the gambling space.

The existing law has been in force for over 25 years. Sen. Ronnie Johns, who authored the bill,  explained that latest technology and bigger slot machines are required which would be accommodated in the gaming venues to help them compete with casinos in Oklahoma and Mississippi.

State Rep. Dodie Horton said: “Although I did not vote to allow riverboat gaming to come to Bossier City, the majority of (my constituents) did and the boats’ financial impact on our city, parish, and state are significant. In Dist. 9 alone, we have over 6,000 people employed at one of the casinos and this cannot be ignored.”

“The passage of Senate Bill 316 brings us to the modernisation for the casino industry that we have been needing for many years. This will assist northwest Louisiana in becoming more competitive towards neighbouring states’ gaming industries,” said Lisa Johnson, president and CEO of the Bossier Chamber of Commerce.

Source: focusgn.com