Bill would prevent casinos from ejecting people just because they are big winners, skilled gamblers
Gamblers who win big could hit another jackpot thanks to legislation proposed at the State Capitol.
The Louisiana Legislature is considering a bill that would prevent gamblers from being ejected or barred from casinos simply because they are too lucky or too skilled – as long as the players aren't breaking the law. In other words, casinos won't be able to kick out gamblers when they win big or hit a hot streak.
House Bill 152 passed out of the House Criminal Justice Committee with no objection on Thursday. It now heads to the House floor for consideration.
Concerned citizens filled the State Capitol in 1992 when the Legislature was deciding whether to legalize a single land casino in New Orleans.
"I just don't think they should have such wide latitude to exclude people based on skill level or because they won," said Rep. Walt Leger III, a New Orleans Democrat and the bill's sponsor. "Anybody who is cheating or acting disruptively or doing anything unlawful would still be excluded, I just don't want them to be excluded because of skill level."
Leger said he was approached by someone who had concerns about this being an issue at riverboat casinos in Louisiana.
Currently, state law allows for people to be banned from casinos if their "presence would be adverse to the interests of Louisiana or gaming operations."
The Senate Judiciary B Committee on Tuesday approved two floating casino measures: one would allow the casinos to move onto land and have more…
Leger's bill seeks to outline what that means – specifically those who engage in unlawful or disruptive conduct. The allowable banned or ejected gamblers would include people suspected of cheating, people who are deemed safety threats, people with documented histories of disrupting gaming operations, people facing gambling-related criminal charges. HB152 further would add to law that "a person may not be excluded from a gaming establishment operated by a licensee or the casino operator for reasons based solely on the skill level of the person."
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