Provides relative to charitable gaming (OR INCREASE SG RV See Note)
HB 315 revises Louisiana’s charitable gaming laws to create special treatment for a newly defined category of nonprofit, a “children’s charity.” The bill defines that term as a nonprofit charitable organization licensed as a distributor as of December 31, 2024, whose primary mission is to improve the lives of children facing hardship. It then requires local governments that allow charitable gaming to permit these children’s charities to participate in or operate existing keno, bingo, and video bingo locations, and bars local authorities from denying, revoking, or materially restricting a children’s charity’s local bingo license if it already holds a current Louisiana charitable bingo license.
The bill also gives children’s charities broader operational authority than other charitable gaming entities. It allows them to obtain non-commercial lessor licenses, run consecutive eight-hour sessions within a 24-hour period, open or operate existing and new keno/bingo/video bingo hall locations, and use approved gaming machines and ticket-in-ticket-out and cash redemption technology. It further exempts children’s charities from most local taxes, fees, permits, and local bingo reporting requirements, except for sales and use tax on tangible products sold. The bill also limits how non-charitable distributors may acquire locations or machines and revokes the license of a commercial hall owner who illegally evicts a charitable organization or breaches a contract with one.
HB 315 would also amend the criminal code by creating the offense of theft of bingo proceeds. An employee convicted of stealing keno, bingo, or video bingo proceeds of $2,500 or more would face at least one year at hard labor and be required to return the stolen funds. In addition, the Louisiana Law Institute is directed to renumber and alphabetize the statutory definitions in the charitable gaming chapter and correct related cross-references.
The bill’s impact on state law is substantial because it overrides local discretion in a narrow area of charitable gaming and creates a preferential regulatory framework for children’s charities. It changes R.S. 4:703 and R.S. 4:706, adds a new section governing children’s charities, and creates a new criminal statute in Title 14. It also affects municipalities, parishes, charitable gaming licensees, commercial hall owners, distributors, and employees handling gaming proceeds.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided material, there is no documented public debate to gauge sentiment directly. Based on the text alone, the bill appears supportive of charitable fundraising for children’s nonprofits and protective of their access to gaming venues and equipment. The main likely point of contention is the bill’s strong preemption of local control and the special exemptions it grants to one class of charities, which could draw concern from local governments, existing gaming operators, and other charitable organizations that do not receive the same treatment.
HB 315 amends Louisiana’s charitable gaming statutes to create a special legal category for “children’s charities” and to give those organizations expanded rights to conduct keno, bingo, and video bingo. It limits local government discretion by requiring municipalities and parishes to allow children’s charities to participate in or operate gaming locations and by prohibiting local authorities from denying or revoking their bingo licenses in specified circumstances. The bill also exempts children’s charities from most local taxes, fees, permits, and reporting requirements, and it creates a new felony-level offense for theft of bingo proceeds over $2,500. It affects charitable gaming licensees, local governments, hall owners, distributors, and employees handling gaming proceeds.
No committee discussion or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize. From the bill text, the measure appears generally favorable toward children’s charitable organizations and their fundraising efforts, while also emphasizing enforcement against theft and contract interference. The absence of recorded opposition or support in the supplied materials means any assessment of sentiment is limited to the bill’s apparent policy direction.
The most notable likely point of contention is the bill’s reduction of local control over charitable gaming. Municipalities and parishes are required to permit children’s charities to operate in ways that local governments might otherwise regulate or restrict, and the bill bars them from imposing certain taxes, fees, permits, and reporting requirements. Another potential source of dispute is the preferential treatment of children’s charities over other charitable organizations, including access to new locations, machine acquisition, and extended operating sessions. Commercial hall owners and existing distributors may also object to provisions that penalize eviction or contract breaches and restrict how non-charitable distributors can acquire locations or machines.