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Belle of Baton Rouge looking to upgrade if riverboat casino law relaxed
Posted on 4/3/18 at 7:37 am
Posted on 4/3/18 at 7:37 am
quote:
Among the bills up for final passage today in the Louisiana Senate is a measure by Sen. Ronnie Johns, R-Lake Charles, that would remove the provision in state law requiring riverboat casinos to be floating vessels on the water.
If passed, the measure would still require approval from the House of Representatives and the signature of Gov. John Bel Edwards. But there’s plenty of support for it, particularly downtown, which is home to two of Baton Rouge’s three floating casinos.
That’s because if the measure passes, Las Vegas-based Tropicana Entertainment, which owns the Belle of Baton Rouge near the Mississippi River Bridge, has said it will invest heavily in upgrading and enhancing its 22-year-old facility. Downtown Development District Executive Davis Rhorer says the area overall would benefit greatly from the multimillion dollar enhancements.
“If done tastefully it could be great for the area,” Rhorer says. “They’ve told me they also would do a lot of landside investments around the atrium—restaurants, coffee shops and entertainment venues that could be utilized not only casino patrons over 21 but by families as well.”
quote:
At a presentation last July to a Louisiana Gaming Control Board task force that was studying potential changes to the riverboat casino law, Tropicana President and CEO Anthony Rodio presented renderings of a renovated, upgraded Belle of Baton Rouge that would be rebranded as Tropicana Baton Rouge.
Plans call for converting the existing 80,000-square-foot atrium, currently used for special events and contains a buffet, bar, and front desk, into a gambling space. As its centerpiece would be an interactive, voyeuristic gaming pit with a bar and entertainment lounge.
Currently the only land-based Casino allowed in Louisiana is in New Orleans.
Business Report Link
quote:
Measures that call for the expansion of gambling have enjoyed seeming broad support so far this session, and 37 bills have been filed. The Louisiana Family Forum has said it is opposing all of them.
This post was edited on 4/3/18 at 7:38 am
15
Posted on 4/3/18 at 7:39 am to member12
quote:
voyeuristic gaming pit
This post was edited on 4/3/18 at 7:40 am
Posted on 4/3/18 at 7:39 am to member12
It will still be depressing as shite at 3am
Posted on 4/3/18 at 7:44 am to member12
quote:
Currently the only land-based Casino allowed in Louisiana is in New Orleans.
Why is that?
ETA: If you oppose Casinos, what difference does it make to you if it is located on a riverboat or in a building along side the river?
This post was edited on 4/3/18 at 7:47 am
Posted on 4/3/18 at 7:45 am to member12
quote:
Measures that call for the expansion of gambling have enjoyed seeming broad support so far this session
Satan is at work in their hearts.
Posted on 4/3/18 at 7:51 am to OysterPoBoy
As predicted before the original floating and later not having to cruise “gaming” laws allowed them when it was decided that gaming was not gambling to skirt the LA constitution.
Posted on 4/3/18 at 7:54 am to member12
quote:
land-based Casino allowed in Louisiana
Posted on 4/3/18 at 7:57 am to member12
quote:
that could be utilized not only casino patrons over 21 but by families as well.”
Either the quote giver or the writer forgot a word here.
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:02 am to member12
Good.
The riverboat law is the best example I’ve ever seen of government involvement unnecessarily forcing business to be inherently less profitable
The riverboat law is the best example I’ve ever seen of government involvement unnecessarily forcing business to be inherently less profitable
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:02 am to Bullfrog
quote:
As predicted before the original floating and later not having to cruise “gaming” laws allowed them when it was decided that gaming was not gambling to skirt the LA constitution
I suppose they have trouble justifying an upgraded boat when the state is poised to make changes in the law. Even if it is just a 30,000 square foot casino floor, the Atrium would make a much better casino than any boat.
Otherwise, I guess they'll opt for a building on the batture sort of how L'burge is now or how a lot of the Tunica casinos are.
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:04 am to Oilfieldbiology
quote:
The riverboat law is the best example I’ve ever seen of government involvement unnecessarily forcing business to be inherently less profitable
It's a stream of tax revenue for the state. IMO they should allow casinos to make their properties more appealing to compete with the Indian casinos.
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:11 am to Oilfieldbiology
quote:
The riverboat law is the best example I’ve ever seen of government involvement unnecessarily forcing business to be inherently less profitable
The law was an attempt to control where a casino could go. They didn't want casinos to be able to just be built anywhere.
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:28 am to doubleb
quote:
The law was an attempt to control where a casino could go. They didn't want casinos to be able to just be built anywhere.
I thought that was the whole point of issuing licenses like that. They wanted control of where and who these casinos would be operated.
And Edwards/Fields wanted bribe money.
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:34 am to JGood
If they relax it, you can bet all three casinos are going to want some kind of land prescence.
Lauberge basically has the best setup and won't need to change.
I'm surprised three are still open. How does Baton Rouge support 3 casinos?
Lauberge basically has the best setup and won't need to change.
I'm surprised three are still open. How does Baton Rouge support 3 casinos?
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:39 am to nicholastiger
quote:
If they relax it, you can bet all three casinos are going to want some kind of land prescence.
Lauberge basically has the best setup and won't need to change.
I'm surprised three are still open. How does Baton Rouge support 3 casinos?
So let's say that the Belle upgrades significantly and produces a good Casino. The other downtown Casino (Rouge?) does nothing and eventually shuts down.
In typical Louisiana fashion, the Rouge will move their casino and license to land owned by JBE associates in St. Tammany Parish near I-12.
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:41 am to member12
quote:
I thought that was the whole point of issuing licenses like that. They wanted control of where and who these casinos would be operated.
When the discussion about whether to permit gambling/gaming and let casinos open, one of the sticking points at the time was they didn't want casinos to flourish ala Atlantic city where the casinos drove property values ways up driving regular folks out only to see the casinos over extended and the casino area fall off in disrepair and blight.
Also limiting boats to the waterways and making some cruise was seen as sort of a return to the past where boats road up and down the river and that too was used to sell gambling. They also sold nostalgia to help get the deal done.
The license thing was also to limit gambling; however, EWE and his cronies knew the law of supply and demand would take over and it did. Licenses became very valuable and the talk later on was that EWE was "compensated" for permitting 8 of the 16 licenses. 8 were done on the up and up, 8 were not.
This post was edited on 4/3/18 at 8:45 am
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:42 am to doubleb
quote:
The license thing was also to limit gambling; however, EWE and his cronies knew the law of supply and demand would take over and it did. Licenses became very valuable and the talk later on was that EWE was "compensated" for permitting 8 of the 16 licenses. 8 were done on the up and up, 8 were not.
Which 8?
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:45 am to member12
Marksville Paragon, is that one on land?
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:46 am to member12
quote:
Which 8?
It's been awhile.
Some were part of the trial records while others were sort of common knowledge. But some were legit, with the winners of the licenses getting them on merit.
Posted on 4/3/18 at 8:47 am to LaBR4
quote:
Marksville Paragon, is that one on land?
It's an Indian owned casino as is one in Kinder, one in St. Mary's parish and I think one other.
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