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Gaming Control Board chair reports landside openings, sports‑wagering revenue to Senate Finance
Summary
Christopher Abare, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, told the Senate Finance Committee the board has seen new landside casino openings and strong sports‑wagering receipts tied to major events, and described the board's regulatory role and recent cost‑saving changes in operations.
Christopher Abare, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, briefed the Senate Finance Committee on March 25 about recent industry developments, regulatory responsibilities and the board's efforts to reduce costs and improve service to licensees.
Abare said the state’s gaming landscape has evolved: a recent landside casino opened in Bossier Parish, Caesars New Orleans completed a rebrand and Belle of Baton Rouge is preparing to rebrand to Bally’s. He noted New Orleans' Super Bowl weekend produced a large volume of sports wagers (about 43 million wagers placed statewide on that date, yielding almost $10 million in wagers on that single event) and that the state collected more than $7 million in taxes on sports wagering that month.
Abare described the Gaming Control Board as the exclusive regulator for activities authorized under state law — riverboat and land‑based casinos, video poker, fantasy sports contests and sports wagering — and clarified that certain forms of gaming are not regulated by the board, including horse racing, charitable gaming, the lottery and tribal gaming on sovereign lands. He said the board had undertaken internal cost savings (reducing duplicative organization memberships and ordering efficiencies) and had launched a new website to provide better service to licensees.
Why it matters: Gaming taxation and regulation generate dedicated funds and tax receipts that contribute to the state's revenues and affect tourism and local economies where casinos operate. The board’s enforcement function is supported by State Police investigations and by the attorney general’s office as statutory counsel.
Abare answered senators' procedural and jurisdictional questions and described outreach and oversight activities; he did not request appropriation changes at the hearing.
Ending: Abare offered to meet with committee members and said the board will continue to monitor market developments and maintain regulatory oversight.
