§ 27:43 — Gaming activities allowed on designated rivers and 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.

Legislative History

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.