Louisiana Hold'em legislation clears hurdle

New legislation that would allow Louisiana bars and restaurants to host Texas Hold'em poker tournaments cleared a House committee Monday, but will likely face opposition from the state's governor.

Kathleen Blanco has said House Bill 282 would legalize Texas Hold'em in Louisiana, a move that goes against her widely reported statement that gambling shouldn't be a basis on which to build an economy.

The bill would give the green light for the state's 6,000 licensed restaurants, lounges and bars to host weekly poker tournaments with few restrictions.

Pub owners would not, however, be able to handle prize money or collect an entry fee for the event.

A similar piece of legislation by HB 484 author, Rep. Warren Triche, was defeated last year.

State law prohibits conducting gambling as a business, but operators of licensed establishments argue they would only profit from the sale of food and beverages during a tournament.

But that would still be profiting from gambling, said Murphy Painter, Louisiana's commissioner of alcohol and tobacco control. That is why the legislature has distinguished riverboat casinos as gaming and has regulated them.

The boats, he said, generate revenue for the state.