With great fanfare, the Shreveport City Council passed an amendment to the city's smokefree ordinance in May of last year. The ordinance was advertised as a remedy for the Shreveport riverfront casinos who had lost revenues from the smokefree requirements enacted in 2021.
The amendment was sponsored by council members Tabatha Taylor and Gary Brooks. It passed on a 4-2 vote by the Council. Grayson Boucher and Jim Taliaferro opposed the amendment and Alan Jackson was absent.
The amendment prohibited smoking on "at least 25% of the floor area on which gambling operations are permitted within the riverboat or land-based casino." Thus, smoking was allowed on a maximum of 75% of the floor area dedicated to gambling.
The amendment did NOT define "land-based casino."
Shreveport has many casino establishments that have video poker that are located throughout the city and are NOT located on the Shreveport riverfront. The question for law enforcement is whether these businesses qualify as a "land-based casino" under the smoking ordinance amendment.
One of these video poker parlors is Airport Truck and Travel Center located at 5201 Monkhouse Drive.
This video poker room allows smoking in 75% of its video poker floor, which is a draw for its customers.
Shreveport Alcoholic Beverage Office (ABO) officers have issued warning citations of non-compliance with the smoking amendment on the premise that the video poker room did not qualify as a "land-based casino". The result of these actions was predictable--a loss in customer base and revenues.
Shreveport attorney Jerry Harper has filed suit against the City of Shreveport to obtain a preliminary injunction against the City for enforcing the smoking ban against Airport Truck and Travel Center. A court hearing has yet to be set. The case will be heard by Caddo District Judge Chris Victory.
After the preliminary injunction hearing Harper will seek a court ruling that includes his client in the definition of "land-based casino". Additionally, Harper may seek lost revenues for his client. A favorable ruling would also apply to all video poker businesses in Shreveport.