Video poker truck stop owner lobbies for harsher regulations for casino competitors
Heeding the concerns of a truck stop casino owner who says he can't compete, the Caddo Parish Commission may decide to expand regulations on off track betting parlors.
Airport Casino owner Nathan Hicks said those parlors don't have the same zoning requirements, allowing them to be closer to churches and schools than Hicks' business. He also said those businesses allow for more leisure.
"They can also offer smoking. They can also offer table games. They can also offer horse racing. I simply can’t compete," Hicks said to the Commission Thursday.
"Quite frankly if that playing field is not kept level, we will be at such a disadvantage that many of the small business operations like mine - we would have to close," Hicks added.
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The Caddo Parish Commission will hold a special meeting on enhancing those regulations July 28.
The legislation proposed by the Commission would give those off track betting parlors the same zoning restrictions as video poker truck stops, like the one owned by Hicks.
Earlier this year, Louisiana legislators passed a law that expanded the area available for off track betting parlors. Hicks said the law would allow large casinos - specifically naming Louisiana Downs - to take a larger portion of the market while not paying taxes.
“It will be the single greatest lateral transfer of municipal funds into private hands in the history of the state of Louisiana,” Hicks said. “The money that would be going into the coffers of Caddo Parish would be going to the Horsemen’s Association.”
Parish Attorney Henry Bernstein suggested commissioners used the occupational license tax to even the playing field for video poker truck stops.
Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Poker truck stop owner lobbies for harsher regulations for casinos
