Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry exercised his veto power, rejecting the highly publicized SB 181 bill, which aimed to ban online lottery casinos. Landry believes that given the active measures taken by the state's Gaming Control Board against illegal gambling, and the overly broad wording of the bill, there is no need for this legislation.
This decision was quite unexpected, as the bill was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives with 99 votes on June 3, and had previously passed the Senate without objection. On April 29, the Senate unanimously submitted the bill to the House of Representatives with 39 votes.
The bill, proposed by Senator Adam Baus, imposes severe penalties for illegal online lottery gambling, with fines ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 and up to five years in prison for violators. The bill also specifies that any applicant, license holder, geolocation provider, game manufacturer, supplier, platform provider, promoter, or media partner who supports, operates, or promotes illegal computer gambling (including illegal online lottery games) within the state of Louisiana is committing an illegal act.
To overturn the governor's veto, both the House of Representatives and the Senate must obtain a two-thirds majority vote. If both chambers fail to convene a veto session and pass a decision to overturn within 40 days after the end of the regular session, the bill will not take effect.
In a letter to Senate President Cameron Henry and Senate Secretary Yolanda Dixon, Landry detailed his trust in the Gaming Control Board. He pointed out that the board has taken strong measures to combat illegal gambling, including issuing a cease and desist letter to the well-known illegal gambling platform Bovada, showing that the regulatory body is effectively fulfilling its duties without the need for additional legislation.
