A House committee votes 8-2 in favor of legislation allowing St. Tammany voters the opportunity to decide whether or not they’d like a waterfront casino in Slidell.
St. Tammany Corporation CEO Chris Masingill said they’ve worked out a five percent revenue share agreement with casino owners Pacific Peninsula, who are moving the license from Bossier City.
“This project represents almost eight million in new resources to support additional investment in things like infrastructure, technology, beautification, and coastal restoration projects,” said Masingill who also noted the 250 million dollar project would create 1,900 direct jobs at the facility.
The bill is backed by the St. Tammany Chamber and Northshore Business Council. Business Council CEO Bonnie Eades said local residents deserve a chance to vote on this.
“Allowing the citizens of St. Tammany Parish the opportunity to decide if they want a casino or not is the best and only democratic way of handling the issue,” said Eades.
Moving the license would result in the closure of DiamondJacks Casino in Bossier City. DiamondJacks has not been open since the beginning of the pandemic.
Some residents who live near the proposed casino spoke against the bill. Lisa Clayton argued casinos are magnets for sex trafficking.
“This is going to be right next to a neighborhood, there are going to be children and families who live in this neighborhood, and you can say that the parish wants it, why? Because it’s not going to be put in your town,” said Clayton.
Others argued there’s evidence that casinos lower property values in nearby neighborhoods.
Louisiana Baptists Office of Public Policy Director Will Hall said Louisiana has the 4th highest incidence of problem gambling, a number that ballooned after gambling was legalized in the early 90s.
“In 1993 only about 1.7 percent of Louisiana adults were problem gamblers. That number has more than tripled to 6 percent as of 2016 according to state research,” said Hall.
The legislation advanced to the House floor. A similar bill on the Senate side is stuck in the Finance Committee.
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