Louisiana Senate panel approves new casino in St.Tammany Parish

The Legislative Fiscal Office said the change could boost tax revenue by more than $60 million, however it also added that its hard to estimate the correct number due to a lack of specific information. The above-given numbers don’t take into account the negative impacts the casino could have in Slidell, where the facility may be moved to, reports the Livingston Parish News.

P2E wants to relocate its casino license, one of 15 in the state. Last year the company closed down Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier city. P2E has proposed to build a $250 million facility in Slidell, St. Tammany Parish.

Slidell Republican Senator Sharon Hewitt said this project could create 1,900 jobs. She said: “It’s about giving our local community the opportunity to vote”, adding that the Louisiana Gaming Control Board would need to approve the move as well. There are seven other co-authors who are lawmakers that represent parts of St. Tammany.

Supporters said that since the Shreveport/Bossier market is considered to be over-saturated, moving this facility to southeast Louisiana could, without taking much business from the New Orleans market, attract other state residents who otherwise would visit properties in Mississipi. 

However, opponents argued that gambling always takes more out of the economy than it puts in. Many of the opponents represent local churches. They said that most gaming revenue comes from gamblers who spend much more than they should. They added that casinos tend to become hubs for prostitution and sex trafficking. 

On the other hand, some others argued that only Slidell residents should be able to vote and not the entire population of the parish. For it is Slidell that will at the end of the day face the negative impact , while the entire parish population would share in the tax revenue.

Nevertheless, Hewitt said that the population of the parish as a whole once voted down casino gaming in 1996, therefore all of the parish should have the option to change said decision.