Lawmakers advance Slidell casino proposal A proposal that could lead to a new casino in St. Tammany Parish was advanced Wednesday by Louisiana lawmakers. House Bill 702 calls for a referendum in the parish for voters to decide whether one of the state’s casino licenses can be moved from Bossier City to just outside Slidell. License holder Pacific Peninsula Entertainment closed DiamondJacks Casino in Bossier City last year. Louisiana allows 15 licenses for river-adjacent casinos. An additional land-based casino operates in New Orleans. “We can’t just allow this license to sit there in limbo,” said Sen. Ronnie Johns, R-Lake Charles, who also noted letting the parish vote to permit a casino is consistent with historic practice.