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Committee adopts amendment allowing transfer of unclaimed promotional wagering credits; bill sent for fiscal review
Summary
Senate Judiciary B adopted an amendment reshaping House Bill 542 so it does not expand promotional credits but instead permits licensees to assign unclaimed promotional‑wager deductions to other licensees; committee expects a new fiscal assessment.
House Bill 542 (listed in committee record as HB 5 42), initially framed to expand promotional‑play (promo) tax treatment, was restructured in committee by amendment to permit the assignment of existing, unclaimed promotional‑wager deductions among licensed gaming operators.
Representative Jackson introduced the bill and said the gaming industry sees promotional credits as a primary marketing tool; Wade Doody of the Louisiana Casino Association explained promotional credits are “fictitious dollars” used for marketing and that taxation occurs when credits are redeemed. Committee staff drafted amendments that removed language expanding promo use and instead allowed licensees to assign all or part of an allowable deduction attributable to promotional wagers that the licensee does not claim to another licensee; assignments must be in writing and reported to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.
Committee discussion covered whether the amendments would change the fiscal note. Industry witnesses and the author said the amendment is intended to be budget neutral because it does not create new promotional credits, only reallocates unused deductions; several members urged sending the bill back to the Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) for updated analysis, noting the potential for greater utilization of currently unused credits could affect revenue. Committee adopted amendment set 27‑21 and reported the bill as amended; members indicated it should be returned to the LFO for fiscal evaluation before further action.
Sponsor Representative Jackson said the goal of the amendments is to “create the ability of existing promotional allowances to be assigned within companies or across companies for maximum utilization” without expanding the amount of promotional credit on the books.
The committee’s action included technical edits and a restructured policy approach and the bill was reported as amended by Senator Bowie with no recorded objections.
