SLS 23RS-369 ENGROSSED
2023 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 189
BY SENATOR JACKSON
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CHARITABLE GAMING. Provides relative to electronic or video bingo machines and
licensed premises. (7/1/23)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 4:724(J) and to enact R.S. 4:724(L) and (M), relative to
3 electronic or video bingo; to provide for operation of machines by a licensed
4 distributor if certain criteria are met; to provide for authorized locations; to provide
5 for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 4:724(J) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 4:724(L) and (M)
8 are hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 ยง724. Use of electronic or video bingo games
10 * * *
11 J.(1) Any license or permit that was issued to any location for the use of
12 electronic bingo machines before June 30, 2022, is a bona fide and valid license
13 and permit under Louisiana law.
14 (2) Any license or permit that was issued to any distributor for the use
15 of electronic video bingo machines before June 30, 2022, is a bona fide and valid
16 license and permit under Louisiana law.
17 (3) Any person who is may be licensed as a distributor shall be permitted to
Page 1 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 189
SLS 23RS-369 ENGROSSED
1 operate electronic video bingo machines which are not in compliance with the
2 provisions of R.S. 4:724(B)(5) if either of the following occurs:
3 (a) The licensed distributor has purchased or has entered into a lease
4 agreement approved by the office for the total number of electronic video bingo
5 machines to be placed at a specific location and the electronic video bingo machines
6 have been permitted by the office and placed at a location which has been approved
7 by the office on or prior to August 15, 2008; or.
8 (b) The licensed distributor person has delivered to the office or has sent by
9 certified mail an application with the required fees to have electronic video bingo
10 machines permitted, which and the application has been received, but not approved
11 by the office on or prior to August 15, 2008, and the application includes one of the
12 following: includes proof of purchase for the total number of electronic video
13 bingo machines to be placed at a specific location that has been approved by the
14 office.
15 (i) Proof of purchase for the total number of video bingo machines to be
16 placed at a specific location.
17 (ii) A nonrefundable deposit of a minimum of twenty-five percent of the fair
18 market value of the wholesale purchase price of the total number of machines to be
19 placed at a specific location.
20 (iii) A nonrefundable deposit on a lease agreement which is equivalent in
21 value to a minimum of twenty-five percent of the fair market value of the wholesale
22 purchase price of the total number of machines to be placed at a specific location.
23 (2)(4) Electronic video bingo machines authorized by the provisions of this
24 Subsection shall only be placed at one of the following locations:
25 (a) A location which has been approved by the office on or prior to August
26 15, 2008; or.
27 (b) A location for which a completed application with the required fees for
28 the licensing to conduct charitable gaming at a specific location has been received
29 and approved by the office on or prior to August 15, 2008. However, locations
Page 2 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 189
SLS 23RS-369 ENGROSSED
1 which have not been approved by the office prior to August 15, 2008, but for which
2 an application has been timely filed as provided by this Subparagraph, shall have
3 received final approval from the office and must be occupied by August 15, 2009,
4 in order to operate electronic video bingo machines which are not in compliance with
5 the provisions of R.S. 4:724(B)(5).
6 (5)(a) If at any time the Legislature of Louisiana amends the law to add
7 new licenses, the office shall not issue any new license or permit after June 30,
8 2022, that would allow any electronic or video bingo machine to be placed
9 within one mile from any property on the National Register of Historic Places,
10 any public playground, any residential property, or any building used primarily
11 as a church, synagogue, public library, or school. The measurement of the
12 distance shall be a straight line from the nearest point of the intended location
13 for the electronic video bingo machine for which any license or permit is sought
14 to the nearest point of the property on the National Register of Historic Places,
15 the public playground, the residential property, or the building used primarily
16 as a church, synagogue, public library, or school.
17 (b) The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to either of the
18 following:
19 (i) Any location that is damaged or destroyed due to an act of God,
20 natural disaster, force majeure, catastrophic event, action by a governmental
21 body, or a similar occurrence over which the licensee or permittee has no
22 control.
23 (ii) To any location licensed to conduct electronic video bingo on or
24 before June 30, 2022.
25 (c) For the purposes of this Paragraph, "residential property" means
26 any property that is wholly or partly used for or intended to be used for living
27 or sleeping by human occupants and that includes one or more rooms, including
28 a bathroom and complete kitchen facilities. "Residential property" shall include
29 a mobile home or manufactured housing provided that the mobile home or
Page 3 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 189
SLS 23RS-369 ENGROSSED
1 manufactured housing has been in its present location for at least sixty days.
2 "Residential property" shall not include any hotel or motel.
3 * * *
4 L. If any location, where electronic or video bingo machines are validly
5 licensed or permitted to operate is damaged or destroyed due to an occurrence
6 that is an act of God, natural disaster, force majeure, catastrophic event, action
7 by a governmental body, or a similar occurrence over which the licensee or
8 permittee has no reasonable control, the office may allow electronic or video
9 bingo machines to operate at the same physical location.
10 M.(1) A location that has been licensed to conduct electronic video bingo
11 by the office may be sold or transferred to a new owner if the new owner is
12 found suitable to hold a charitable gaming license by the office pursuant to this
13 Chapter.
14 (2) Electronic video bingo machines licensed by the office may be sold
15 or transferred to a new owner if the new owner is found suitable to hold a
16 charitable gaming license by the office pursuant to this Chapter.
17 Section 2. This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2023.
The original instrument was prepared by Brandi Cannon. The following
digest, which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was
prepared by Michelle D. Ridge.
DIGEST
SB 189 Engrossed 2023 Regular Session Jackson
Present law provides for the operation of electronic video bingo machines, including a
prohibition that an electronic video bingo machine shall not contain entertainment display
features simulating slot reels or card games.
Proposed law provides that any license or permit that was issued to any location or to any
distributor for the use of electronic video bingo machines before June 30, 2022, is a bona
fide and valid license and permit under Louisiana law.
Present law provides that a licensed distributor may operate electronic video bingo machines
which are not in compliance with present law under either of the following circumstances:
(1)The licensed distributor has purchased or entered into a lease agreement for the total
number of electronic video bingo machines to be operated at a specific location on
or prior to August 15, 2008.
(2)The licensed distributor has delivered to the office of charitable gaming (office) or
Page 4 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 189
SLS 23RS-369 ENGROSSED
sent by certified mail an application and fees to have machines permitted which has
been received and not approved on or prior to August 15, 2008, and the application
includes either a proof of purchase or a non-refundable deposit.
Proposed law removes references to the licensed distributor and electronic video bingo
machines, which are not in compliance, and provides for the licensing of distributors to
operate electronic video bingo machines if either:
(1)The licensed distributor has purchased or has entered into a lease agreement and the
machines have been permitted by the office and placed at a location which has been
approved by the office prior to August 15, 2008.
(2)The person has delivered to the office or has sent by certified mail an application
with the required fees to have electronic video bingo machines permitted, and the
application includes proof of purchase for the total number of electronic video bingo
machines to be placed at a specific location that has been approved by the office.
Present law provides that electronic video bingo machines authorized by present law may
only be placed at the following two locations:
(1)A location approved by the office on or prior to August 15, 2008.
(2)A location for which a completed application with the required fees for the licensing
to conduct charitable gaming at a specific location has been received by the office
of charitable gaming on or prior to August 15, 2008, and which has received final
approval from the office and was occupied by August 15, 2009.
Proposed law removes deadlines for approval or receipt of applications and provides that
machines may be placed either at a location approved by the office of charitable gaming or
at a location for which a completed application with the required fees was received and
approved by the office.
Proposed law provides that if at any time the Legislature of Louisiana amends the law to add
for new licenses, the office shall not issue any new license that would allow any electronic
or video bingo machine to be placed within one mile of certain places, including any
property on the National Register of Historic Places and any building used primarily as a
church, synagogue, public library, or school. Provides for exceptions to the proposed law
one-mile radius.
Proposed law provides that if the physical location in which the charitable gaming
organization operates electronic or video bingo machines is destroyed or damaged as a result
of a natural disaster, an act of God, force majeure, a catastrophe, or such other occurrence
over which the organization has no control, then the office of charitable gaming shall allow
for a replacement location to be permitted in accordance with local zoning laws.
Proposed law allows for the transfer of a location license and a electronic video bingo
machines license.
Effective July 1, 2023.
(Amends R.S. 4:724(J); adds R.S. 4:724(L) and (M))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to the
original bill
1. Provides for the validity of licenses for location and electronic video bingo
Page 5 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 189
SLS 23RS-369 ENGROSSED
machines issued before June 30, 2022.
2. Removes provisions relative to licensed distributors and the operation of
electronic video machines that were not in compliance and provides for
licensing requirements of distributors.
3. Removes references to deadline dates for submission of applications for
licensure and approval of applications.
4. Provides that if the legislature amends law to add new licenses, the office of
charitable gaming shall not issue a license or permit after June 30, 2022, that
would allow any electronic video bingo machine to be placed within one mile
of certain places and provides for exceptions to the one-mile radius.
5. Defines residential property.
6. Provides that if a location, where electronic video bingo machines are validly
licensed or permitted to operate is damaged or destroyed due to certain
events, the office may allow such machines to operate at the same physical
location.
7. Provides for the transfer of a location license and electronic video bingo
machines license.
Page 6 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.