April 21, 2021, 10:14 am ·
The Louisiana Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday narrowly passed a bill that would allow a locally licensed company to transfer its existing Bossier City casino license to St. Tammany Parish where it wants to develop a new casino.
The measure needs approval from state lawmakers and the Louisiana Gaming Control Board as well as from parish voters.
Pacific Peninsula Entertainment, or P2E as the company is known, has unveiled plans to relocate its casino license and
develop a new gambling facility in Slidell, a city on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish.
The operator purchased DiamondJacks Casino in Bossier City six years ago. It announced in May 2020 that the venue would close permanently
The closed DiamondJacks Casino Resort is seen locked up. Owners of the property and its Louisiana casino license hope to build a new gaming resort in Slidell. (Image:
KTBS)
Senate Bill 213, authored by Sen. Sharon Hewitt (R-Slidell), narrowly passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday by a 4-3 vote.
If the bill passes the Senate and House of Representatives and is then signed by Gov. John bel Edwards (D), it moves to a public ballot. Voters in St. Tammany would be asked during the November 2021 election whether they wish to allow commercial gambling in the parish.
Only a simple majority support is needed to end the current prohibition that bans casinos within St. Tammany.
License for Diamond Jacks Casino Might Move to Slidell
The plan to move the Diamond Jacks Casino license from Bossier City to south Louisiana is moving forward. There is a proposal to move the local license to the Slidell area.
Citizens of St. Tammany Parish would first have to vote to have the gambling complex built on Lake Ponchatrain in the Slidell area. The State Gaming Control Board would also have to ok moving the license.
The Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill to let the process move forward for a gambling establishment in southeast Louisiana. The vote to move out of committee was 4-3. The bill is now headed to the Senate floor.
Baton Rouge / louisianaradionetwork.com
Apr 19, 2021 8:15 PM
A Senate committee narrowly approves legislation allowing the people of St. Tammany Parish to vote on allowing a casino to operate in Slidell.
Bill author Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt said a developer has proposed a waterfront casino that would create 1,900 permanent jobs and keep parish residents from spending money in Mississippi.
“We have Mississippi casinos who are members of our St. Tammany Chamber, they are big sponsors of lots of local community events in Slidell because we are good customers in Mississippi,” said Hewitt. “We love the crab leg buffet in Bay St. Lewis.”
BATON ROUGE, La. â A Louisiana Senate committee narrowly advanced a bill Monday that would let a company move its casino license from Bossier City to St. Tammany Parish if parish voters and state regulators approve.
The change could boost tax revenue by more than $60 million, though the Legislative Fiscal Office said itâs difficult to estimate âdue to a lack of specific plans and information.â Those numbers, however, donât take into account the negative impacts the casino could have, especially in Slidell, where the facility may be placed, opponents said.
Pacific Peninsula Entertainment, or P2E, wants to relocate its casino license, one of 15 in the state. The company closed DiamondJacks Casino in Bossier City last year.