Louisiana Poker Scene Set To Expand Due To New State Casino Law

Louisiana’s state governor recently signed a new law that will allow the state’s riverboat casinos to expand operations and set up land based operations.

The new law was signed back on May 23 and is expected to provide the poker industry in the state a major boost as land based casinos set up new poker rooms.

Louisiana legalized its casino industry in 1991 and the state welcomed riverboat casinos. The original plan was for them to wander the state’s waterways. However, staying in one location proved to be more profitable for the casinos. Four land-based casinos in the state were given exemptions to operate as well.

The riverboat casino setup did not help the poker scene in the state, since it limited the space for poker rooms.

Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans is one of the few land-based casinos that has been hosting regular poker events. The Horseshoe Casino which is docked at Bossier City recently ran the RunGood Poker Series but faced numerous challenges in organizing and running the poker stop.

The casino had limited space and only had 14 allocated poker tables as per state regulations. Despite these challenges, there were still a lot of attendees. Three events were scheduled for this stop and it saw as many as 1,020 entries. The signing of the new casino law was greeted with enthusiasm by the state’s poker players.

Poker To Get A Much Needed Boost

In a statement, Chad Disante, Poker Room Manager for the Horseshoe, said

We are excited about new opportunities that come with this newly passed legislation. Our poker room is now able to host large-scale, land-based tournaments and is no longer confined to a restricted gaming space. Our guests will see more legendary events at Horseshoe Bossier City with the World Series of Poker and RunGood Poker Series.

The expansion won’t happen overnight though. Experts expect that it will be six months before two or three riverboat casinos take the first step to apply for a casino expansion. This is because of the legal requirement to switch off their circulating paddle wheels.

The new legislation is going to help modernize Louisiana’s gambling industry and assist in raising the amount of tax revenue that is generated by the gambling industry. In 2017, casinos generated around $400 million for Louisiana and that number is expected to grow bigger in the years to come. Louisiana’s poker rooms will now have a chance to expand and host large poker events in the near future.