§2.  Public policy of state concerning gaming; status of licenses, contracts, and permits

A.  The legislature hereby finds and declares it to be the public policy of the state that the development of a controlled gaming industry to promote economic development of the state requires thorough and careful exercise of legislative power to protect the general welfare of the state's people by keeping the state free from criminal and corrupt elements.  The legislature further finds and declares it to be the public policy of the state that to this end all persons, locations, practices, associations, and activities related to the operation of  licensed and qualified gaming establishments and the manufacture, supply, or distribution of gaming devices and equipment shall be strictly regulated.

B.  It is the express intent, desire, and policy of the legislature that no gaming operator, nor any applicant for a license, permit, or other thing existing, issued, or let as a result of this Title, shall have any right of action to obtain any license, casino operating contract, permit, or the granting of the approval or affirmative board action sought except as provided for and authorized by this Title.  Any license, casino operating contract, permit, approval, or thing obtained or issued pursuant to the provisions of this Title or any other law relative to the jurisdiction of the board is expressly declared by the legislature to be a pure and absolute revocable privilege and not a right, property or otherwise, under the constitution of the United States or of the state of Louisiana.  Further, the legislature declares that no recipient of any such license, casino operating contract, permit, any other thing, or affirmative board action or approval acquires any vested interest or right therein or thereunder.

C.  The legislature further finds and declares it to be the public policy of the state that parents should provide financial support to their minor children who cannot care for themselves.  Thus, intervention by the state, through the enforcement of child support orders and the collection of child support, is in the best interest of its citizens and is necessary when the parents fail to meet their support obligations.  Since children are adversely affected when parents who have outstanding support obligations divert their financial support to gaming, a parent's winnings from money diverted from a child's support should be applied to the parent's outstanding support obligations.  The legislature further finds and declares that this policy is consistent with the public policy of protecting the general welfare of the state's people.

D.  In accordance with this finding, the Department of Children and Family Services shall report to the joint committees on Civil Law and Procedure and Judiciary A, no later than fifteen days following the commencement of the regular legislative session each year, on the interception and seizure of gaming winnings for the payment of child support and overpayments owed to the department.  This report shall be a public record and shall include but not be limited to the number of jackpots intercepted pursuant to this Section and the amount of each jackpot intercepted.

Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 7, §1, eff. May 1, 1996; Acts 2010, No. 425, §1, eff. June 22, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 877, §3, eff. July 1, 2010.