Gaming on riverboats is authorized on designated rivers and waterways, subject to the section’s conditions and local election procedures for adding new waterways.
§43. Gaming activities allowed on designated rivers and waterways A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the conducting of gaming activities on a riverboat in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter, while upon designated rivers or waterways as described in Subsection B of this Section, is hereby authorized. B.(1) For purposes of this Chapter, designated rivers and waterways shall include those portions of the Mississippi, Red, except the portion of the Red River within the borders of Rapides Parish, Calcasieu, Mermentau, or Atchafalaya Rivers and Bayou Segnette within the city limits of Westwego, the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, Bayou Bienvenue, Lake Pontchartrain, including the waterways connected thereto in that portion of St. Tammany Parish located to the south and east of Interstate 10, specifically the waterways that are part of the Lakeshore Marina located south and east of Interstate 10, Exit 261, Lake Maurepas, Lake Charles, the Intracoastal Waterway, except the portion thereof within the borders of Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, and the Sabine River north of the Toledo Bend Reservoir Dam subject to the provisions of Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, upon which a gaming operator is authorized to conduct gaming operations in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter. (2)(a) On and after June 20, 1995, the addition of a designated river or waterway to those listed in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be effective only after approval by voters in an election held, pursuant to this Paragraph, in any parish which borders the proposed river's or waterway's banks. Such election shall permit voters in such parishes to decide the question of whether the berthing of a riverboat upon which gaming is conducted on such river or waterway shall be authorized. (b)(i) At any time after the inclusion of a river or waterway has been proposed by an act of the legislature, the governing authority of any parish which borders the proposed river's or waterway's banks may order, by resolution, an election to permit voters in such parish to decide the question of whether the berthing of a riverboat upon which gaming is conducted on such river or waterway shall be authorized. Such election shall be held pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 6-B of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950. (ii) If such an election has occurred in any parish which borders the banks of a proposed river or waterway and the results in any such election have been favorable, then immediately upon promulgation of the election results in any such parish, the river or waterway proposed by an act of the legislature shall be considered a designated river or waterway. C.(1) For the purposes of this Section, the Intracoastal Waterway shall be deemed to include all of Bayou Boeuf within, or which forms the border of, St. Mary Parish, including that portion of Bayou Boeuf in St. Mary Parish historically described by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the Morgan City to Port Allen Landside Route of the Intracoastal Waterway. (2) This Subsection is expressly declared to be a clarification of the law. The provisions of this Subsection shall not be construed to add a designated river or waterway to those enumerated in Subsection B of this Section or to require the holding of an election or elections pursuant to Subsection B of this Section. Acts 1991, No. 753, §1, eff. July 18, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 1117, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1299, §1, eff. June 20, 1995. Redesignated from R.S. 4:503 by Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 7, §3, eff. May 1, 1996; Acts 1997, No. 576, §1; Acts 2001, No. 942, §1; Acts 2021, No. 362, §2, eff. June 15, 2021.