Louisiana Sports Betting

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Sports betting in Louisiana officially launched on October 7, 2021, and the year proved to be a banner year for sports gambling. After 55 out of the state’s 65 parishes voted to back the activity, the state moved quickly to launch the activity.

The vote took place during the November 2020 ballot, and initially, it was estimated that an official launch would not take place before 2022. However, lawmakers and regulators moved much more quickly, hammering out the final details, such as the exact rate of taxation.

With the pandemic taking a big bite out of tax revenue, the Gaming Control Board had to also think about where the revenue derived from sports betting could be allocated to help tackle surging public bills. The state also launched Daily Fantasy Sports around the same time, as the activity was similarly backed by voters in the majority of the state’s parishes.

The year 2021 also brought other exciting changes to the Pelican State, with the state already hosting eight sportsbooks.

Louisiana Sports Betting: State of Matters

Sportsbooks in Louisiana arrived in 2022, in time for the Super Bowl, a milestone event that generates millions in terms of sports betting handle across the United States. It took some time to organize things as mentioned, and during a referendum held during the 46th Presidential Election, 55 out of 64 parishes voted in favor of bringing sports betting to Louisiana, leading to the launch in October 2021.

Today, Louisiana features eight regulated sportsbooks that are offering their products locally. Among those are:

• Fanatics
• bet365
• Caeasars
• FanDuel
• DraftKings
• BetMGM
• ESPN Bet
• BetRivers

All of these companies are fully licensed to operate in the state, and they have provided an immaculate service. Louisiana has witnessed a rapid expansion of the total sports betting handle collected by the eight licensed sportsbooks, with the amount averaging $160 million in 2022, to climb up steadily to over $250 million in 2023.

In December 2024, for example, Louisiana’s sports betting amount wagered reached $390 million, shy of November’s $413.4 million but still a pretty impressive figure all the same.

Latest Gambling News in Louisiana

Sports November 14, 2024

Louisiana Halts Ambitious Bill to Raise Online Sports Betting Tax to 51% In Louisiana, lawmakers have put on hold a major bill that aimed to jack up the tax rate on online sports betting.  Proposed 51% Tax Increase Paused as Rep. Wilder Seeks More Insights Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs, put forward House Bill 22. This bill wanted to bump the tax rate from 15% to a […]

Sports November 12, 2024

Louisiana Weighs Significant Sports Betting Tax Hike to 51% Louisiana is thinking about a big tax hike on online sports betting that might push its current 15% tax rate up to 51% putting it next to New York and Vermont as the highest in the United States.  Rep. Wilder Introduces HB 22 to Boost State Revenue from Sports Betting Representative Roger Wilder III (R-Livingston […]

Legal May 27, 2024

Backlash Forces Louisiana Senator to Withdraw Casino Contribution Amendment After previously trying to remove the existing legislative prohibition that prevented casinos within Louisiana from making political contributions, Sen. Thomas Pressly from the 38th district has made a U-turn.  Sen. Pressly’s Attempt to End Casino Donation Ban Sparks Backlash Initially, Sen. Pressly submitted a finance bill (HB 906) that would have removed the prohibition on […]

Sports April 4, 2024

Louisiana to Roll out Ban on College Prop Bets Starting from August A new change announced by the gambling regulator in Louisiana seeks to ban prop bets for college sports. The statewide expansion of sports betting paved the way for wagering on college games, in addition to professional sports. With many states offering a wide range of betting options, wagers that involved specific parts of the game […]

A Brief History of Sports Betting in Louisiana

To get a good read of where sports betting in Louisiana is, it may be a good idea to look at the history of the activity. Louisiana is blessed as it doesn’t reunite the interests of powerful stakeholders. There are none of the rivalries between commercial and tribal businesses, and that is a good thing.

Even better, many prominent sports betting brands are already in the state. The Harrah’s New Orleans is one of the few brick-and-mortar casinos in the state.

Then again, you have Horseshoe Bossier City, Golden Nugget Lake Charles, and River City Casino, all of which are operated, owned, or backed by brands that have already established sports betting businesses elsewhere. Here are the events that have led to today’s success insofar as the sports betting industry is concerned.

2018

The only event that took place in 2018 that has had significant implications for the legality of sports betting in the United States is the repeal of PASPA, a federal ban that prohibited retail and online sports betting. With the law struck down, that meant that each commonwealth could decide for itself whether it wanted to have legal sports betting or not.

Some states needed to start considering changes to their constitution, as the only way to introduce legal sports wagering, but for many others, it was a matter of simple legislative consideration. Louisiana was one of the states that had to put the subject up to its 64 parishes for a vote.

2019

2019 shaped up as a pivotal year for Louisiana sports betting, not so much because actual progress was made rather than the fact that lawmakers seemed to support the idea outright.

The first bill to arrive in the state was a daily fantasy sports betting legislation that was submitted in March. Later, an amendment was introduced to also make sports betting legal in Louisiana, but the move failed to gather enough momentum and was eventually mothballed.

2020

Things did look up once again for the sports betting industry in the state and in March, Louisiana saw two bills trying to make betting legal in the state appear during the legislative session. One of them set out that for any such thing to happen, the state would have it up for a vote in each parish.

As it became evident that a majority was needed to make betting on sports legal, individual parishes were free to block the activity on their territory if they had not voted for it.

During the November 2020 ballot, 55 out of 64 parishes voted in favor of sports betting in the state but only for retail locations, meaning that mobile sports betting is still a no-go for the state, albeit this could change as well. Mobile is an important source of revenue.

Sports betting eventually launched in October 2021, after getting legalized in March of that very same year, leading to the establishment of eight individual online sportsbooks.

Where Would You Be Able to Bet on Sports in Louisiana?

Louisiana has no shortage of excellent places that make legal sports betting accessible. The state has over 25 casinos that range from river properties to racinos, to three tribal casinos and they are all happy to welcome a sportsbook and see their revenues go up.

River, Golden Nugget and Hard Rock are clearly three of the names that sought to be among the first to welcome Louisiana sports betting. This is particularly true because they can simply transfer their expertise from other jurisdictions in the state.

Louisiana allows in-person sportsbooks as well as supports mobile betting, allowing residents to place bets remotely. However, there has been no definitive legislation supporting mobile betting.

If anything, lawmakers have been quick to see the benefits of online sports betting being an approved activity.

When it comes to sports betting, the best way to go with the activity is to give it free rein, which has appealed to Louisiana residents, especially those who support the activity. Please note that while there are eight online sportsbooks, 20-odd locations are hosting retail sportsbooks right now!

Where Does Louisiana State Stand on Daily Fantasy Sports Betting?

There is much good betting news coming out of Louisiana right now, and daily fantasy sports is one of them. For starters, the state’s parishes voted in favor of the legalization of the activity back in 2018, paving the way for brands such as DraftKings and FanDuel.

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has regulated this activity, allowing sports fans to pick their preferred activity when engaging in wagers on different sports competitions.

Stakeholders have three-year licenses, and the annual fee will be calculated based on gross gaming revenue (GGR) generated over the period. Another noteworthy thing about this legalization framework is how long it specifically took Louisiana to introduce DFS after passing a law successfully back in 2018.

While 2021 may prove slightly more favorable to sports wagering in general, there is a good chance that it will be a while before we see fully-fledged sports betting in the state as well.

What Sports Can I Bet on in Louisiana?

Louisiana is in no shortage of sports, and now that we have a fully regulated market, Louisiana residents have plenty of sports betting options to enjoy. The focus of most sports betting is firmly set on all-American sports such as football, basketball, and college sports, but there are many other options to explore, and bettors have been engaging freely in those as well.

Popular sports teams in the state include the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans. Understandably, both the NFL and NBA are important to Louisiana residents who will be excited to know that the ballot measure they overwhelmingly supported will lead to retail and possibly online betting soon enough.

Apart from these two, though, the state has an interest in pretty much every major American sport, including but not limited to golf, NASCAR, hockey, baseball, and soccer, to name a few. By American, we don’t mean to misappropriate the origins of each sport, but rather to reflect the popularity each competition enjoys in the country.

More sports that resonate with residents are boxing, tennis, darts, handball, rugby league and rugby union, Aussie rules, formula 1, cricket, volleyball. The state also roots for college sports with the LSU Tigers a point of pride for locals.

Good Picks to Bet On

As mentioned before, Louisiana has a nice sports tradition. What this means is that you can always quickly reference some possible betting opportunities. Clearly, the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans are such.

The Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, and they have been playing in every NFC South Division Championship since 2017. Overall, the team has been doing quite well but hasn’t been able to cut to the Conference Championships or the Super Bowl for that matter.

The other team you might want to bet on are the LSU Tigers, depending on whether college sports wagering would be allowed in the state. The Tigers are a strong franchise, and while they have their shortcomings, the university has been spending a pretty penny to keep its roster fresh and sharp.

The Pelicans have been in a bit of a slump in the meantime, with the team posting middling results in the 2020/21 season. While you probably love basketball, it might be a good idea to wait a bit before the Pelicans are once again a decent pick. Surely, they will offer value in some betting selections.

Types of Sports Wagers You Can Place in Louisiana

Louisiana legislature may yet exclude some types of bets you are able to place, but overall, there should be not too many restrictions when it comes to wagering in the state. The way most states do it is they authorize sportsbooks to extend a whole lot of wagers available anywhere when it comes to sports. This means that you would be able to place popular bet types, including:

• Parlays
• Moneyline
• Totals
• Spreads
• Props
• Futures

These are just a few of the possible bet types out there. Looking into some of the specific markets that may or may not be included, a few verticals are usually a little contentious when legislators decide if they should be included. They include:

• Politics
• Entertainment
• Esports
• College

Each of these categories is potentially an activity that may be left out from sports betting in Louisiana at least temporarily. College often comes with some strings attached. For instance, you can have legalized sports, but you cannot bet on college events that involve your state teams even if they are playing somewhere else.

All of this is designed to arguably strengthen the integrity of the sport and competition, but there is no actual evidence that this is actually the case. Nevertheless, sportsbooks are more than happy to comply. Many of them know that it’s only a matter of time before residents push for the full legalization of every market.

Popular Sportsbooks in the State

When it comes to sportsbooks that may show interest in Louisiana, there are some clear favorites. Because voters paved the way for DFS betting first, it’s only logical that DraftKings and FanDuel would be getting an early start in the market, and there is hardly any shame in that. With this in mind, we feel it makes sense to mention a few things about each sportsbook.

FanDuel Louisiana

FanDuel is a fantastic sportsbook, and seeing it enter the Louisiana sports betting climate is a good sign for all. While the primary focus of the operator used to be DFS, it has evolved to successfully cater to traditional betting markets.

FanDuel makes placing a variety of wagers very simple and straightforward, and you should have no issue doing so whatsoever. The dedicated iOS and Android mobile betting platforms make things even easier, and you can access the betting site from both a desktop or mobile device.

The sportsbook comes with a dedicated rewards program as well as a very tempting $1,000 risk-free welcome offer that bettors definitely like. The sportsbook adds a smidgeon of great customer support along with a comprehensive FAQ section to solve any issue.

Not least, in every state that FanDuel operates, the offer is tailored in a way that makes it possible to deposit and withdraw quickly and reliably.

DraftKings Louisiana

A champion of DFS products, DraftKings offers a uniform sports betting experience in the United States, Making sports betting legal in LA means that local bettors will have access to one of the best betting sites in the country.

DraftKings has a $1,000 entry-level bonus that is worth it, and the offer comes with an intuitive betting slip, live betting markets, hundreds of possible markets, and intuitive mobile platforms that work with all operating systems (OS) and devices.

The sportsbook supports PayPal, among other payment options, in the majority of the states where legal sports betting is available, and Louisiana should be no different when it comes to stellar payment options.

The Offshore Betting Market: Still Going On

Unfortunately, while lawmakers are still debating how and when to legalize sports betting, bettors are heading to offshore sites that offer remote and mobile wagering. Naturally, this has proven very tempting to the majority of residents, and sportsbooks located outside the state or even the country are extending various betting offers.

The market generates about $150 billion annually according to the American Gaming Association (AGA), a trade group based in Washington, D.C. One issue that stems from offshore gambling is that when licensed betting sites finally launch in Louisiana, it could be difficult to tell which online sportsbooks are actually legitimate.

States such as New Jersey have become very adept at controlling their betting markets in terms of only allowing legitimate websites and educating residents. New Jersey is also a state where any sites or media that promote offshore gambling are targeted by regulators.

So, are Louisiana bettors still turning to offshore online sportsbooks? This certainly is the case, but the regulated mobile betting sector is helping suppress it!

Conclusion

Sports betting is already legal in Louisiana, and this is good news for everyone. Bettors can attend trusted and vetted retail sportsbooks and very possibly, online sportsbooks, too. The full-scale legalization of the industry would also mean better tax dollars for the state coffers and a way to bite into the offshore market, which continues to target Louisiana residents without permission.

With a few regulatory nuts and bolts adjusted, sportsbooks can soon begin offering licensed sports betting markets. It may take some time to have all verticals brought up to speed, but offshore is dying, and Louisiana’s many parishes recognize the importance of legal sports gambling. It’s only a matter of time until everyone catches up. The most likely outlook for legal sports wagering in Louisiana remains 2022.

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