The state of Louisiana is one of several that has been considering the legalization of online gambling this year. Online gambling is a way that states can bring in much-needed revenues and players are already taking part, so why not get a piece of the action? Unfortunately, in Louisiana, the bill involving online gambling has failed to advance. During a recent Senate Committee on Judiciary meeting, several proposals were considered, including one involving online gambling, with the bill not moving forward.
The online gaming legislation was proposed by Senator Danny Martiny and would see online casino and poker gaming come to life in the state. The Senator wants to see the gaming options bring money to the state, commenting that Louisiana is broke and no one seems to have any ideas as to how they can bring in revenues.
The bill that failed to advance is S 322, an option that was heavily opposed by the Louisiana Video Gaming Association. The group currently operates video poker machines in several businesses in the state, including bars, truck stops, restaurants, etc. These games provide over $300 million in revenues annually to the state and the group feels that online gaming would cut into this number.
The Association feels that gamblers will just stay home if they can play video poker as well as other games from the comfort of home. They have a good argument, and this may be why lawmakers are not pushing to see iGaming come to life.
The chairman of the committee, Senator Gary Smith, has made the recommendation that Senator Martiny create a group to look into the issue. If research can be done on the video poker industry and how it would be affected by online gaming, it might make lawmakers more open to the idea of passing legislation to allow online casino and poker games.
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