When it comes to the legality of online sports betting in Louisiana, folks ought to note that online sports betting is now legal in the state. However, though this is the case, punters at the present moment are not yet able to start placing their bets. This necessitated by the fact that at the present moment, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board is still in the process of checking the applications of all prospective online sportsbook operators looking to set up shop in the state. In this article, we are going to look at the possible launch dates of online sports betting in the state as well as the most likely sportsbooks to open shop first.
Laws Relating to Online Sports Betting in Louisiana
After the US Supreme Court passed the ruling to legalize online sports betting on a state level in 2018, the onus was left on individual states to either permit it or not. In Louisiana, the question of permitting online sports betting or not was first debated in the State House and then the State Senate of Louisiana. Unfortunately, deadlocks were reached in the Senate and a decision was made to take the debates further to the districts (affectionately known as Parishes in Louisiana). Parishes overwhelmingly voted for the legalization of online sports betting (55 out of 64 parishes supported legalization of online sports betting)– a decision which led to the assemble of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board which was tasked with overseeing everything that has to do with online sports betting in the state. The first task of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board was to invite applications from prospective online sportsbook operators. The Board announced that there are a possible 41 online sportsbooks as well as 20 retail sportsbooks coming to Louisiana.
Current State of Online Sports Betting in Louisiana
The major break to the legalization of online sports betting in Louisiana came in November 2020 when parishes overwhelmingly voted for legalization of online sports betting in the state. In June 2021, a bill was passed giving the Louisiana Gaming Control Board the power to regulate and hand out online sports betting licenses. In August 2021, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board commenced the licensing process. By September 2021, Louisiana announced that everything was almost in place for the launch of online sports betting in the state but the launch was postponed owing to Hurricane Ida. At the present moment, the state of Louisiana is yet to announce the official launch date but the general feeling is that the launch date will come earlier rather than later.
Frontrunner Sportsbooks Looking to Go Live in Louisiana
The state of Louisiana chose to grant licenses to a whole host of online sportsbook operators. When it comes to online sportsbooks, there are 41 licenses that are to be granted while a further 20 will go to retail sportsbooks. There are six online sportsbooks that have already been granted licenses and these are: DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, FoxBet Sportsbook and PointsBet Sportsbook.
Top Retail Casinos in Louisiana
- Golden Nugget Hotel
- Horseshoe Bossier City
- Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino
- Boomtown Hotel Casino
- Best Western Casino Inn
Top NFL Sports Teams in Louisiana
Once online sports betting launches in the state of Louisiana, players will have the opportunity to start placing bets on Louisiana’s very own and only NFL team, the New Orleans Saints.