Former US Senator Charged For Allegedly Using Campaign Money for Gambling

According to a statement released by Louisiana US Attorney Duane A. Evans, former State Senator Karen Carter Peterson has been charged with wire fraud and using campaign money to fund gambling.
Peterson was influential in passing gambling legislation during her time as Senator

Peterson, who has been vocal about her battles with gambling addiction, has agreed to a plea deal for the charge of wire fraud admitting that she used the campaign money for personal expenses which included gambling-related activities.

Peterson served as a member of the Louisiana State House from 1999 to 2010. She was then a state senator until her resignation on April 9th, 2022.

Although Peterson has agreed to a plea deal, it’s unclear as it whether or not the deal will include prison time.

During her time working on the state Senate’s Judiciary Committee, Peterson is said to have played an influential role in having gambling legislation passed. This included bills on sports betting, rules for video poker, online daily fantasy sports games, and the relocation of water-based casinos to land.

Jenny Tang

An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.