Will Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier City Reopen?

The Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier City could be back up and open in the next 60 days now that voters in St. Tammany Parish have rejected gambling. The resolution calling for the vote for a new gambling facility in the Slidell area says the Bossier City facility would have to be reopened 60 days after the election in order for the company holding the license to be able to keep that license.

Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns tells KEEL News he will have a conversation with the folks at Diamond Jacks about their plan, but he does anticipate they will do whatever it takes to open back up in Bossier City.

The vote in St. Tammany was overwhelmingly against gambling for that parish.

What  Are the Options for the Diamond Jacks Casino?

Johns says Diamond Jacks has 2 options:

1. Reopen the Bossier City Casino

2. Relinquish the license back to the state

Johns says they can not sell the license. He says "we can not let the license stay dormant. It's been dormant for over a year now."

He also says "I anticipate they will reopen Diamond Jacks. The board may give them a little more time than the 60 days to get back up and going."

If Diamond Jacks relinquishes the license, the state would then take applications for someone else to hold that license.

Johns says "in my initial conversation with Diamond Jacks a few weeks ago, they indicated they would reopen in Bossier if the referendum failed. But they would have to have a full blown casino with slot machines, table games and amenities. They must have a viable casino."

The resolution on the proposed move of the Diamond Jacks license to south Louisiana had a strict requirement for what would happen if voters in the Slidell area rejected the gambling proposal.

Here's What Was Outlined in the Resolution:

In the event of a negative vote of the majority of the voters in St. Tammany on the question of whether to allow riverboat gaming in St. Tammany Parish and the relocation of Louisiana Riverboat Gaming Partnership's berth site to Lake Ponchatrain, then the berth site shall be and remain on the Red River in downtown Bossier City, Louisiana. And Louisiana Riverboat Gaming Partnership shall commence gaming operations on the vessel Mary Margaret (Diamond Jacks) at the Bossier Parish berth site within 60 days of the local option election.