Ronnie Johns, Chair of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board
A Senate Committee will hear several sports gambling-related bills Tuesday and Lake Charles Republican Ronnie Johns has a proposal that calls for a proposition election on sports wagering to be held in every parish in November. Johns says sports betting is already happening illegally.
“In my humble opinion I think that we need to legalize it, we need to collect taxes on it, and we need to make it a legal industry,” says Johns.
If parishes were to legalize sports gambling, the activity could not begin until the Legislature approves the tax structure during next year’s fiscal session.
Johns says we’ve given our neighbors a competitive economic advantage by waiting so long to legalize sports betting.
“After the United States Supreme Court ruled it legal the state of Mississippi did it immediately, they wasted no time,” says Johns.
Johns is optimistic the Louisiana Sports Wagering Act would find much the same level of support amongst voters that fantasy sports legalization did.
“The people voted on fantasy sports a year ago and it overwhelmingly passed I think in 47 parishes, and actually I think a lot of people thought they were voting on sports book at that time,” says Johns.
Sports gambling would be allowed at riverboat casinos, racetracks, and the land-based New Orleans casino, for 20 locations in total.
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