European Gaming Lawyer magazine Autumn 2017 | Page 15

Regulator of the Year 2017
– North America
Ronnie Jones
Chairman, Louisiana Gaming Control Board
Chairman of the Louisiana Gaming
Control Board Ronnie Jones is the fi rst
recipient of the prestigious Regulator of the
year award from Louisiana. Chairman Jones
took up the reins of Chairman following
the unexpected death of Dale Hall in 2013.
He states of his regulatory style, “I engage
the industry in a very personal way by
visiting properties and meeting regularly
with property general managers. I am of the
opinion that I cannot properly regulate an
industry sitting behind my desk. Establishing
an on-going dialogue and relationship with
licensees serves both the state’s interests and
those of the industry. I fi rmly believe that
if I create a fair, transparent and objective
regulatory environment where licensees
know what is expected the industry can
prosper and the state is well protected.”
Prior to being appointed as Chairman of
the Louisiana board, Ronnie Jones began
work at Louisiana State Police where he
served thirty-three years. He says of those
years, “As legislative liaison for State Police
I found myself navigating a diffi cult path
between those who wanted gaming and
those who were opposed to gaming. Th us I
found myself at more than one committee
meeting acknowledging that our agency had
no position on whether or not gambling
should be legalized but asserting that if
it were ultimately approved, the industry
would need appropriate oversight similar to
what was in place in other jurisdictions….
Wary legislators were insistent on State
Police taking the regulatory lead.”
Following those early years of gambling
legalization, he remarks, “It was somewhat
ironic that Governor Bobby Jindal appointed
me in 2013 to my position as chairman
inasmuch as I was an early and frequent
critic of gaming in the nascent years.”
Overcoming the fi nancial challenges of an
underfunded agency while at State Police, he
has transformed that experience into a good
common sense regulatory environment,
where operators can be successful.
Reiterating his regulatory philosophy, he
says, “I realize that an oppressive regulatory
environment can kill an industry. Gaming
remains one of the most heavily regulated
business sectors in the country and for good
reason. But the threats and vulnerabilities
inherent in gaming have changed over
time. Few would argue that the mature,
main stream gaming industry of today is far
diff erent than it was a quarter century ago.”
He has displayed a rarely seen willingness
to revisit and, in some cases, reduce long
ago imposed burdens placed on some
casino properties where those burdens
have adversely impacted their ability to
provide the levels of employment and capital
investment that prompted the adoption of
gaming legislation in Louisiana in the early
1990s.
Also, at Ronnie’s urging, a Concurrent
Resolution was adopted by the Louisiana
Senate and House during the regular
session of the legislature in 2016 to create
a Riverboat Economic Development and
Gaming Task Force which Ronnie chairs.
Th e task force is charged with obtaining
public input relative to changes in current
law, rules and regulations which, among
other things, would (1) generate and
promote continued economic development
by riverboat gaming licensees; (2) provide
for greater safety for visitors and employees
of riverboat casinos, (3) encourage increased
capital reinvestment by riverboat gaming
licensees, (4) improve and enhance the
regulation of riverboat gaming licensees, and
(5) make Louisiana riverboat casinos more
competitive. Th is is a signifi cant undertaking
about which Ronnie Jones is passionate.
He refers to this experience as his “greatest
achievement as a regulator….”
J. Kelly Duncan of Jones Walker states,
“Aft er a long and distinguished career
with the Louisiana State Police and other
positions in State government, Ronnie
seamlessly transitioned to the position
of Chairman of the Louisiana Gaming
Control Board where he has proven to be
very well-prepared, knowledgeable and
fair in his treatment of Louisiana gaming
licensees. His interest in working with the
casino industry for the benefi t of both the
industry and the State is readily seen in
his concurrent leadership of the Riverboat
Economic Development and Gaming Task
Force which has been charged with making
recommendations to the State legislature
regarding ways to make Louisiana riverboat
casinos more competitive.”
Ronnie Jones has also successfully
gathered some of the most powerful
industry professionals to come testify in
front of his committee in an eff ort to make
Louisiana a better gaming state. Although
gaming in Louisiana started off rocky,
under Ronnie’s guidance, Louisiana is now
considered a strong, stable, business friendly
gaming market. Allen Godfrey, Executive
Director of the Mississippi Gaming
Commission states, “I have had the pleasure
of knowing and working with Ronnie for
the last four or fi ve years and there is no one
more passionate about his job than Ronnie. 
He is truly deserving of this award, and I
have the utmost respect for his knowledge
and integrity as a gaming regulator and a
person.”
Finally, it is noteworthy that Chairman
Jones has participated as a speaker at G2E
and the Southern Gaming Summit, among
other conferences, where his comments have
always been well-received. He summarizes
his view of the future of gaming in Louisiana
commenting, “I think Louisiana, having
endured those detestable early years, is a
better place. It’s a better place for its citizens
and it’s a better place for gaming to do
business.” He brings the perfect balance of
good business sense and irreproachable
ethics to the industry in Louisiana.
Based on his many years of public service
as a member of the State Police and the
many task forces he has been appointed to
and personal accomplishments as an adjunct
professor, Chairman Ronnie Jones is indeed
a worthy recipient of this award.
European Gaming Lawyer | Autumn Issue | 2017 | 15