Senate panel OKs cruise ship gambling

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 | 9:49 a.m.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Over the governor's opposition, a Senate panel approved a bill Tuesday that would let a New Orleans cruise ship offer gambling on board, which supporters said would help boost a local business competing with foreign cruise ships.

Rep. Danny Martiny, R-Kenner, said only one boat currently would meet the strict requirements of the bill: the Delta Queen Steamship Company's American Queen. He told the Senate Judiciary B Committee that foreign boats docked in New Orleans already have gambling on board, and he said his bill would help the American Queen compete for tourist dollars.

Terry Ryder, Gov. Kathleen Blanco's executive counsel, said the governor opposed the bill because she was against expansions of gambling.

"This is still a bill that would put gambling where it is not today, and therefore, it is an expansion of gambling," he said.

But Martiny said the gambling would only be available to passengers on the ship who must pay anywhere from $700 to $1,500 per person for the cruise. The bill (House Bill 114) would allow up to 110 gambling positions on cruise ships that have overnight berths for at least 400 passengers and conduct 48-hour excursions where passengers begin and end the cruise in New Orleans.

"I guess that I would call it a little more gaming," Martiny said.

The committee voted 4-2 to send the House-passed bill to the full Senate for debate.

Gambling proceeds would be taxed at a rate of 18.5 percent, split between local governing authorities, the state and administrative costs.