LouisianaSlot casinos would receive a one-year enhanced promotional play pilot
For one year, licensed casinos would use a special calculation for promotional play, protect certain local payments, and report the results to state officials.
What it does
During a one-year pilot, licensed casinos would subtract up to $7 million in promotional play wagers when calculating net slot machine proceeds.
For the pilot period, local governments and other listed recipients would be protected from receiving less than their 2025–2026 amounts, unless a force majeure event occurs.
Licensees would be barred from transferring the additional $2 million tied to promotional play and would have to report results and local fee-and-tax effects by March 1, 2027.
Argument forKeeping local governments at least at their prior funding level could limit the pilot’s effect on parish budgets while casinos test enhanced promotional play.
Argument againstSubtracting promotional play wagers from the proceeds calculation could reduce fees or taxes tied to those wagers, even though the bill requires a report on the effect.
More detail
Licensed casinos would calculate net slot machine proceeds after subtracting cash and prizes paid to winners and up to seven million dollars tied directly to promotional play wagers. The rule applies to licensed facilities and slot machine gaming operations covered by Louisiana gaming law. The seven-million-dollar subtraction applies despite other laws that would otherwise define net slot machine proceeds differently. The rule would apply from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
Local governing authorities and other listed recipients would receive no less than the amount they received in the 2025–2026 fiscal year. The protection covers the parish where a licensed eligible facility is located and the other entities listed in the referenced law. The floor would not apply when a force majeure event occurs, meaning an extraordinary event beyond the parties’ control. The text does not state a separate start date for this protection; the Act would take effect July 1, 2026, and cease to be effective June 30, 2027.
Licensees would report their additional promotional-play proceeds and related effects on local fee and tax collections, and the additional two million dollars could not be assigned to another licensee or casino operator. The reporting goes to the Gaming Control Board and the Senate and House committees named in the Act. The report must cover July 1 through December 31, 2026. The report must show additional net slot machine proceeds directly attributable to enhanced promotional play and its effect on fees and taxes credited to local government funds. Licensees would submit the report by March 1, 2027.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 25Becomes Act No. 963 without the Governor's signature.Latest
- Jun 25Effective date: 07/01/2026.
- Jun 4Sent to the Governor for executive approval.To Governor
- Jun 1Notice of change in House Conference Committee membership: Freeman vice Hilferty.
- Vote recorded ADOPT CONFERENCE REPORT (#1855). Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded ADOPT (#1654). Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 1Conference Committee report received.
- Jun 1Notice House Conference Committee members appointed.
- Jun 1Rules suspended.
- Jun 1Conference Committee Report read, roll called, yeas 83, nays 10. The Conference Committee Report was adopted.
- Jun 1Notice House adopted the Conference Committee Report.
- Jun 1Conference Committee Report read; adopted by a vote of 27 yeas and 8 nays.
- Jun 1Notice of Senate adoption of Conference Committee Report.
- Jun 1Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.Minor
- Jun 1Signed by the President of the Senate on 6/2/2026.
- May 31Read by title, returned to the calendar.
- Vote recorded REJECT SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1776). Result: pass.Lower
- May 31Notice given.
- May 31Read by title, roll called, yeas 93, nays 0, Senate amendments rejected, conference committee appointment pending.
- May 31Notice House rejected the Senate amendments.
- May 31Senate conference committee members appointed: Reese, Talbot, and Harris.
- May 31House conferees appointed: Jackson, Villio, and Hilferty.
- May 31Notice of Senate conferees appointed.
- May 31Notice of change in House conferees: Jackson,Villio, Freeman.
- May 29Reconsidered. Read by title; returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1571). Result: pass.Upper
- May 29Rules suspended. Called from the Calendar.
- May 29The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 21 yeas and 11 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.Passed Senate
- May 29Received from the Senate with amendments.Minor
- May 29Scheduled for concurrence on 05/31/2026.
- May 28Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1540). Result: fail.Upper
- May 28Called from the Calendar.
- May 28Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title; failed to pass by a vote of 16 yeas and 17 nays.
- May 28Notice of reconsideration on the next legislative day.
- May 27Rules suspended. Reported with amendments. Rules suspended. Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.Minor
- May 27Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.Minor
- May 21Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.Minor
- May 20Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.Minor
- May 19Rules suspended.
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1410). Result: pass.Lower
- May 19Read by title, returned to the calendar.
- May 19Rules suspended.
- May 19Motion to reconsider pending.
- May 19Called from the calendar.
- May 19Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 71, nays 22. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.Passed House
- May 18Scheduled for floor debate on 05/18/2026.
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1311). Result: fail.Lower
- May 18Read by title, returned to the calendar.
- May 18Called from the calendar.
- May 18Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 44, nays 46. Failed to pass.
- May 13Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.Minor
- May 12Reported with amendments (7-0).Minor
- Mar 9Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.Minor
- Feb 6First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/6/2026.
- Feb 3Prefiled.Minor
- Feb 3Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.Introduced
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