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Committee backs bill to relax non‑gaming vendor permitting threshold for casinos
Summary
House Bill 151 would remove Louisiana’s remaining stringent permitting requirement for non‑gaming vendors by exempting vendors below a $500,000 annual threshold from full gaming‑level suitability applications; the committee reported the bill favorably after industry testimony.
Representative Cox told the committee that House Bill 151 would change Louisiana’s statute requiring non‑gaming vendors who do business with a commercial casino in excess of $500,000 per year to submit to full suitability review and obtain a nongaming vendor permit. Cox said the rule currently forces small or occasional vendors to complete a 24‑page business application and a 16‑page personal history and financial record for each owner and officer, which discourages some vendors from doing business in Louisiana.
Wade Doody, executive director of the Louisiana Casino Association, testified the permitting requirement has led some out‑of‑state vendors to decline doing business in Louisiana rather than submit to the same scrutiny as gaming licensees. "Some companies, particularly those for whom the Louisiana gaming market is not a major part of their business, simply choose not to do business in the state rather than subject their ownership structure and senior management to this permitting," Doody said.
Committee members noted regulators retain authority to call forward any entity of concern and that suitability for gaming operators is unchanged. The committee recorded green cards in support from several casino operators and, with no amendments, Senator Harris moved to report House Bill 151 favorably; the motion carried by voice consent.
