Louisiana anti-gambling legislation rejected

Most of the discussions focused on the presence of ATMs in casinos

Anti-gambling legislation that would have banned ATMs and any credit extensions from casinos narrowly failed this week. But state Senator Joe McPherson and other gambling critics did get one victory in committee with legislation forcing casinos to also advertise their revenue when touting their large payouts to customers.

The issues quickly turned into a debate on the merits of gambling in Louisiana, with most of the discussions focused on the presence of automated teller machines in casinos in McPherson’s Senate Bill 41.

Senate Judiciary B Committee Chairman Danny Martiny said people who are gambling addicts will feed their addictions regardless of where the ATMs are located. Also, the legislation would not apply to the handful of American Indian casinos because of their pacts with the state, Martiny said.

Wade Duty, executive director of the Casino Association of Louisiana, reiterated that only people 21 and older can enter casinos.