Louisiana Names New Gaming Director

The Governor of Louisiana has selected Christopher Hibbert to lead the state’s gaming oversight body.

On Monday, June 24th, Louisiana’s chief executive, Jeff Landry, named Hibbert as the state’s new gaming director. The previous head of regulation, Ronnie Johns, recently announced his departure, with June 30th being his final day.

Hibbert has been chosen to head the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.
Hibbert previously held the position of Director of the Gaming Division within the Attorney General’s Office. In this role, he collaborated closely with Johns, who is stepping down as one of the most influential figures in Louisiana’s gaming sector. A statement from Landry’s office indicates that Hibbert is the first African American to be appointed as the Chair of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB).

“Proper oversight of the gaming industry is crucial at a time when gaming income remains a significant contributor to our state’s economy,” Hibbert stated in the press release. “I am both humbled and honored to be chosen by Governor Landry as the first African American Chair of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, and I promise to continue the diligent efforts of my predecessor to ensure that gaming is free from criminal and corrupt influences.”

Hibbert possesses extensive experience in the gaming sector.
Hibbert takes over from Johns, who was in office when Louisiana introduced legal digital sports betting in January 2022. During his tenure in the Attorney General’s Office, Hibbert worked closely with the LGCB on gaming matters.

This individual was a key player in shaping legal sports betting rules and initiating digital sports wagering.

“He’s a vital contributor to the gaming sector and the regulatory sphere,” Mississippi regulator Jay McDaniel remarked to iGB. “As neighboring gaming districts, we often cooperate on matters of shared concern, and Chris has always been supportive and responsive whenever I’ve collaborated with him. He demonstrated exceptional leadership during his time as Director of the Attorney General’s Office.”

Louisiana has had physical casinos since the early 1990s. In 2020, voters authorized retail and digital sports wagering in 55 parishes through a public vote.

“Chris served us effectively as legal counsel to the commission,” former Louisiana regulator Ronnie Jones told iGB. “I’d struggle to find anyone else with Chris’s depth of knowledge of Louisiana gaming regulations. On top of that, he brought absolute honesty to the process. He’s well-known and respected by other regulators and their staff.”

iGB monitors the most recent monthly US state-level outcomes, analyzing Louisiana’s further sports betting expansion and New Hampshire’s ongoing spending reduction https://t.co/Ni5CWA8iYP pic.twitter.com/tWYq5S0YMe

Experience and Background Perfectly Aligned
Louisiana has over 20 physical casinos and, under the sports betting legislation, can have up to 21 betting platforms.

Gaming companies that take bets on sporting events are required to collaborate with established gambling venues or horse racing facilities.

“It is with great pleasure that I announce the selection of Christopher Herbert as the leader of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board,” Landry stated in an official announcement. “His professional history and expertise make him well-suited to manage such a substantial industry.”

When wagering at casinos was initially permitted, all Louisiana casinos, with the exception of the Harrah’s Casino situated in the French Quarter of New Orleans, were mandated to operate on riverboats. State laws and regulations have undergone modifications since then, and the LGCB is actively involved in overseeing these adjustments.

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