• Can You Gamble In Louisiana
• Gambling Laws In Louisiana
• List Of Casinos In Louisiana
• Casino Gambling Laws In Louisiana

Tilman Fertitta, whose Fertitta Entertainment Inc. owns Golden Nugget Lake Charles, criticized Louisiana slot machine laws at a conference this week. Mr. Fertitta’s remarks were made at a meeting of the Riverboat Economic Development and Gaming Task Force.

Speaking at the event, Tilman Fertitta proposed possible changes that would allow the Louisiana casino industry to be more competitive over the next 25 years of business. The suggestions focused on making commercial casino operators more competitive with tribal gaming facilities.

Louisiana betting laws prohibits all types of online gambling. Web gamblers will face a fine of up to $500 for taking part. Louisiana is one of the two states with explicit consequences for players. Louisiana casinos must be on bodies of water. Three of Louisiana’s 18 casinos rank in the top 20 in the country in terms of revenue (3). There are a total of 11 live poker rooms in the state. They include: Belle of Baton Rouge in Baton Rouge (6 tables) Coushatta Casino in Kinder (20 tables) Harrah’s New Orleans in New Orleans (20 tables) Isle Of Capri Casino Lake Charles in Westlake (8.

Tilman Fertitta’s Casino Law Suggestions

In particular, the CEO of Fertitta Entertainment called for changes to the maximum number of slot machines allowed in Louisiana riverboat casinos. Fertitta, who is no relation to the Fertitta Brothers of Station Casino and UFC fame, also called for a lowering of the tax rate on Louisiana slots, because his company works at a disadvantage.

During the conference, the American Press reported Houston casino executive saying, “It is shocking to me how much business we lose to tribal gaming here in the state of Louisiana. What in the world is the difference in me having 1,600 slot machines or 1,700 slot machines when they can have 2,500?”

Why Tribal Casinos Pay Lower Taxes

One problem private or commercial casinos run into compared to tribal casinos is the Indian Gambling Regulation Act. The IGRA stipulates that states can collect taxes from tribal casinos, but only enough to cover the cost of regulatory oversight. By law, the state cannot charge exorbitant tax rates. Only if the state offers a tribal casino concessions — such as monopolies over certain games — can the state tax Indian casinos at a higher tax rate.

No such law exists for private casino operators. In fact, states generally legalize and regulate the commercial industrial sector with tax revenues in mind. Those taxes are used for public education or scholarship funds. If the state only taxes at the cost of regulation, then it has no money for the General Fund.

Tax Caps on Promotional Cash

States like Louisiana can draft laws which make commercial casinos more competive. Several of Tilman Fertitta’s other ideas have merit, in that regard. Ideas for tax caps on promotional money, time limits on slot machine jackpots, and limitations on the number of slots in a casino make sense.

For instance, Fertitta also called for a tax cap on promotional play. Some US states tax the promotional dollars that casinos offer as incentives to players. Other states do not tax the money, because it is not money that casinos actually pocket. Louisiana taxes promotional money, but Fertitta wants only a certain amount of the incentives taxed, so casinos can offer more aggressive promotions. Such promotions are proven to work in cultivating a new customer base.

Slot Machine Jackpot Verification

Louisiana’s pause on slot machines that pay out big jackpots does not make sense, according to the Texas executive. Citing his knowledge of Nevada and Mississippi gaming laws on slot machines, Fertitta said that Louisiana could stand to increase the size jackpot which triggers a pause in play (for a quick audit). Louisiana’s slot machine laws are outdated and represent a time with less inflation.

Describing the verification process in Louisiana, Fertitta said, “A slot machine that is inactive for at least 10 minutes to allow for verification after a $10,000 jackpot is won. Mississippi and Nevada don’t require that verification until a $100,000 jackpot is won.”

He also said that paperwork is too unwieldy. Business people in every sector complain of regulations, not so much because they have employee requirements, but because they waste so much time on paperwork. Thus, the Golden Nugget Lake Charles owner’s complaints about paperwork were a traditional businessman’s concern about wasteful red tape.

Vendor Paperwork Is Out of Control

Fertitta said the purchasing process for vendors should be simplified. He said vendors worth more than $200,000 have to fill out 21 pages of paperwork. Not only does it take time for the transmission of useless information, but it makes vendors distrustful of the process. Background checks take much less time and are less invasive.

The casino executive said of the vendors put off by the massive amount of questions, “It just scares them. They feel like it’s an invasion of privacy. You can do a simple background check on one page.”

Whether Fertitta Entertainment’s ideas will be considered by the bulk of Louisiana lawmakers is unknown, but the Lake Charles casino industry is becoming a major hub for Louisiana’s gaming sector. The proximity to Houston, Texas makes Lake Charles a major enclave. It currently has 9 different casino operations, including the Golden Nugget Lake Charles.

Louisiana is known for its food, music, and culture. You may think of New Orleans as the center of the state with its annual Mardi Gras celebration and packed cobblestone streets. But other hubs in the ‘Bayou State’ include the capitol Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, and the city of Lake Charles.

Although gambling is legal to a degree in most of the state some of the casinos you’ll find on this list are in lesser known cities. Some of the best treasures are hidden among the states rice fields and blue highways.

A unique mix of French, Haitian, Spanish, Native American, and African cultures has led to Louisiana being one of the only states without an official language. This variety of culture has led to lasting impacts on the region. Old-world Roman Catholicism gave Louisiana its familiar celebrations of Mardi Gras, All Saint’s Day, and led to the parish system instead of counties.

Louisiana has over 53 casinos in its 64 parishes. This article will highlight 5 of its finest and discuss what makes these destinations unique.

1- L’Auberge du Lac

In the heel of the boot you’ll find the city of Lake Charles. This area of the state is known as ‘Cajun Country’ and his home to two casinos on this list. Both are conveniently located off of US Interstate 10 making the drive from New Orleans and Houston a simple trip.

Opened in May 2005 by Pinnacle Entertainment, the property was later acquired by Gaming and Leisure Properties. In an interesting twist the property was leased back to Pinnacle in 2016 who became Penn National Gaming. Along with L’Auberge, Penn National Gaming operates the Ameristar and Belterra casino lines as well as several racetracks.

The casino resort boasts an incredible 999 rooms. In addition to standard luxury rooms, the casino resort has a line of the themed suites including Royale, Marquis, Palais, Versialles, and Garden. The Big Dog and Cool Cat suite features custom lighting, a pool table, and a 110-inch media wall to go with your custom butler service.

Casino amenities include 6 restaurants hosted by resident chef Lyle Broussard. The resort also houses 3 clothing stores, a jeweler, and a florist. Visit Contraband Bayou Golf Pro Shop before you hit the links on L’Auberge’s 18 hole Tom Fazzio designed golf course.

Because of Louisiana’s riverboat gambling laws L’Auberge du Lac’s casino floor is built on a floating structure. Walking from the lobby into the casino you would never know that you were actually standing over water.

L’Auberge casino contains over 1,600 slots and video poker machines. The 2,100 square foot casino floor has 73 tables featuring your favorite games. Baccarat games include Baccarat, EZ Baccarat, and Mini Baccarat. Other table games include Blackjack, Craps, Fortune Pai Gow, Four Card Poker, High Card Flush, Mississippi Stud, Progressive 3 Card Poker, Roulette, Ultimate Texas Hold’Em, 21+3 (a combination game of Blackjack and 3 Card Poker).

2 – Golden Nugget Lake Charles

Also located in Lake Charles, the Golden Nugget neighbors L’Auberge du Lac. Sharing it’s name with the original location in downtown Las Vegas, the Golden Nugget Lake Charles completed construction in December 2013 and opened in December of 2014.

Like L’Auberge du Lac, the Golden Nugget went through several owners before being acquired by Landry’s, Inc. Eventually Landry’s, Inc. settled on adding the resort to it’s Golden Nugget line; Atlantic City, Laughlin, Las Vegas, and now Lake Charles. Previous names for the project included Mojito Pointe and Ameristar Lake Charles.

The 242 acre waterfront casino has 1038 guest rooms and suites housed in a 22-story tower. Stay in the standard Deluxe rooms or 1,000 square foot Suite options. The 1,500 square foot Presidential comes with a baby grand piano. The 2,000 square foot two-story Loft Suite includes fireplace and private patio with Jacuzzi.

The Golden Nugget contains an incredible 10 restaurants. Get your meat on at Vic & Anthony’s and Salt Grass Steakhouses. You’ll have two seafood options; Chart House and Landry’s Seafood House. There’s a wide selection at the California gold rush themed Claim Jumper restaurant. Other options include Grotto Italian Restaurant, Lillie’s Asian Cuisine, Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, and the aptly named buffet, ‘The Buffet’. Bars include Blue Martini, Rush Lounge, Ice Bar, and Bar 46. Bill’s Bar and Burger faces Contraband Bayou, complete with a mini-white sand beach and marina to dock your yacht.

Other amenities you won’t want to miss include live entertainment from the nation’s top acts, spas, salon, and a barbershop. The casino resort includes 9 stores with everything from Aqua, for your pool gear to Riveted, for denim. Visit the Pro Shop for golf gear before you tee off at The 18-hole, par 72 golf course on the bayou; designed by California-based architect Todd Eckenrode.

The Golden Nugget’s Select program offers nationwide comps for it’s entire line of casinos. You’ll find over 60 tables and 1,650 machines. The Poker Room includes no-limit and pot-limit versions of Texas Hold ’Em, 7 Card Stud, and Omaha. Blackjack options include 6 deck shoe, double deck and 6:5 single deck games. Other tables you’ll find on the floor include Craps, Roulette, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Mississippi Stud, Pai Gow Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em.

3 – Margaritaville Resort Casino

Outside of Bossier City, Louisiana on the Red River is Margaritaville Resort Casino. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Penn National Gaming. It uses its name under license from Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. The hotel has 395 tropical themed rooms housed in an 18-story tower. The casino was built as a barge floating in a pool with 2 feet of water pumped in from the Red River, to comply with Louisiana’s riverboat casino laws.

Visit the Spa and Salon at Margaritaville or catch a touring musical act at the 7,000 square foot Paradise Theater. 5 restaurant options include the World Tour Buffet, Riverview Restaurant & Brew House, Jimmy’s Seafood & Steak, and the Bamboo Asian Cafe. Keeping with the Margaritaville theme there are 2 bars; The Busted Coconut and Its 5 O’clock Somewhere Bar.

Can You Gamble In Louisiana

Each month over $90 million is paid out. The casino has over 1,200 of the hottest and newest slot machines. The High Limits Area is Blackjack only with 21+3 and In-Bet games. Blackjack options include Single Deck, Double Deck Pitch, and 6-Deck Shoes. Other table options include Three Card Poker, High Card Flush, Cajun Stud, Craps, and Roulette. The Baccarat Room features 4 mini-bac and 2 midi-bac tables.

4 – Coushatta Casino Resort

Coushatta Casino resort in Kinder, Louisiana is owned by the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; one of three federally recognized tribes of the Koasati people. It is the largest private employer in Southwest Louisiana and 2nd largest in the state.

Coushatta offers 4 ways to stay. The Grand Hotel is an “adult-exclusive” property reserved for guests ages 21 and up. The Seven Clans Hotel has comfortable and modern rooms with spa style showers. The Coushatta Inn has more traditional design with 195 spacious rooms. The Red Shoes RV and Chalet Park has fully furnished 1 or 2 bedroom chalets with personal decks containing you’re own picnic table and grill.

Gambling Laws In Louisiana

The Dream Pool features a lazy river, two slides, swim-up bar for adults, and a splash pad area for kids. Ride the 184 ft. triple-loop slide and the 112 ft. speed slide that intertwine or swim in the 5,000 sq. ft. pool. The Koasati Pines, a dynamic 18-hole golf course has a par 72 championship layout; with six sets of tees and multiple approaches on three holes. Visit The Clubhouse while your on the links for some food and to rent the latest gear. Lucky Paws Dog Park has leash-free fun, agility equipment, and plenty of running room for dogs. There is also a fully supervised Kids Quest facility and Cyber Quest arcade with over 60 arcade machines. Coushatta has a fully-stocked lake for fishing if you’d like to try you’re luck another way.

Coushatta has thousands of slots with high limits and progressive jackpots. Electronic table games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, and video poker. Blackjack options include 6-Deck Blackjack, Double-Deck Pitch, 3-Card Blackjack, and 21+3 Blackjack. Other table games include Roulette, 20x Odds Craps Tables, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Dragon Bonus Mini-Baccarat, 3-Card Poker, 4-Card Poker, Mississippi Stud Poker, Flop Poker, and High Card Flush.

Fusion Blackjack/Roulette is a unique game that allows players to play 2 games at once in comfortable stadium seating. Coushatta also offers off-track betting at Saratoga, Del Mar, Gulf Greyhounds, Louisiana Downs, and Evangeline Downs racetracks.

5 – Delta Downs

Located in Vinton, Louisiana; Delta Downs is an American thoroughbred and quarter horse racetrack. Owned by Boyd Gaming, this 200 room resort opened in September 1973 making it the oldest casino resort on the list.

List Of Casinos In Louisiana

Restaurant options include the Rosewater Grill & Tavern for mouth-watering steaks and delectable seafood. The Lookout Restaurant offers a bird’s eye view of the live horse racing action and food from Delta Downs award winning chefs. Enjoy the Triple Crown Buffet for Louisiana favorites and the diner-style Gator Grill for more casual dining. The racetrack resort also hosts national musical acts at their Delta Event Center. The intimate Gator Lounge provides a venue for local and regional acts.

The racetrack itself is a furlon furlong oval. There is a 550-yard Quarter-Horse chute, in addition to 0.62 mile and 1.062 mile thoroughbred chutes. The track surface is a mixture of sand (from the Sabine River and clay, with a limestone base. The Delta Downs grounds features horse pastures which are visible from the entrance. Draft, miniature horses, and thoroughbreds are on display. Resident Quarter Horse Red River Rebel is the leading money-winning quarter horse in Louisiana.

The casino has 1,600 of the most popular slots and video poker machines. The 24 B Connected perk program has locations nationwide to redeem your benefits. Like many casinos, Delta Downs Racetrack and Hotel makes it easy to apply for casino credit for worry-free gambling. One thing to be aware of is Delta Downs does not have table games.

Conclusion

Many of the land-based casinos on this list are in south-west Louisiana, with the exception of Bossier-City. This area of the state is where Louisiana gets its moniker ‘the Sportsman’s Paradise’ because of year-round hunting and fishing.

Casino Gambling Laws In Louisiana

As with any of the casino resorts in Louisiana make sure you get your fill of the unique Cajun cuisine. If you’re lucky you might meet a local speaking the endangered French Creole dialect. Ask them about any events in the area and do as the locals do.