BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana's senators have agreed to allow the state's riverboat casinos to move on land.

The Senate voted 22-14 Tuesday for the proposal by Sen. Ronnie Johns, a Lake Charles Republican. The measure got two votes more than it needed.

Passage to the House came after a heated debate about whether the bill's provisions could be considered an expansion of gambling in a state with 15 riverboat casinos, video poker, a lottery, slot machines at racetracks and a land-based casino in New Orleans.

The measure would allow Louisiana's 15 riverboat casinos to conduct gambling activities within 1,200 feet from where the riverboat is berthed and remove the requirement the riverboats have an operable paddlewheel.

It also would redefine the limits on gambling space.