Louisiana Sports Gambling Turns Attention to March Madness
The success and extravagance of this weekend’s Super Bowl have hidden the fact that there...
Online Sports Betting in
Louisiana
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Louisiana sports betting timeline
Sports betting was put into law in June 2021. The road there was long and began back in 2018.
2018
Louisiana Senator Dany Martiny has been the champion of LA sports betting and his initial efforts came in early March of 2018 when SB 266 was introduced.
This bill sought to put the issue of sports betting on the 2018 November ballot. However, it was introduced before PASPA was repealed in May of 2018.
Legislators passed it around several committees for a month before ultimately dismissing it and leaving it behind to pursue other matters.
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2019
Senator Martiny came back with another similar bill in April of 2019. SB153, more formally known as The Louisiana Sports Wagering Control Act, would have legalized Louisiana sportsbooks at the state’s 16 casinos or four racetracks.
Mobile betting was going to be restricted to the sportsbook areas of licensed establishments similar to Mississippi. Bettors would need to be 21 years or older and each parish would have been able to decide if they want sports betting on their October ballots.
The bill made it through the state Senate on a 24-15 vote. The bill was on a good path to being passed in the state House of representatives as well until it hit the House Appropriations Committees.
An amendment was added which would allow any business with a video lottery terminal to turn them into sports betting kiosks.
There are about 2,800 locations with those machines across the state which meant sports betting in Louisiana would have been much more accessible than lawmakers were comfortable in. It was dubbed the poison pill of the bill.
That amendment came only a few days before the June 6 adjournment. Senator Martiny tried to tack his bill onto a DFS bill with momentum on the last day of the session just to get it passed but that was ultimately not enough.
2020
With Senator Martiny termed out of office, someone needed to carry the torch. Thankfully, other lawmakers stepped up and 5 bills were filed before the session even began in March.
Those bills were LA SB 130, LA SB 332, LA SB 66, LA HB 357, and LA SB 378. But, it was LA SB 130 that made it to the finish line and was signed by Governor John Bel Edwards on June 13, 2020. The bill turned into Act. No. 215 after it’s signing.
The bill was a simple referendum bill asking individual parishes if they even want sports betting in their area. The only amendment added was one that clarified it would be the Lousiana Gaming Control Board who would regulate the industry.
Given how the COVID-19 pandemic cut into the 2020 session and affected lawmakers’ ability to pass a bill this year, this bill seemed like the quickest choice.
Voters ultimately gave sports betting in Louisiana their blessing in 55 out of 64 parishes, including the ones with New Orleans and Baton Rouge in them. The rules and regulations for the market will still need to be figured out in 2021.
Details
When election day was finished, 55 out of 64 parishes thought that they should indeed be permitted.
State lawmakers will still have to come up with the rules and regulations for legal sports betting in Louisiana in the 2021 legislative session. After that, the regulatory process begins and applications will have to be accepted and licenses will need to be awarded before any real wagers can be put down.
The legislature was then tasked with coming up with proper rules and regulations for the parishes that approved the activity. A total of 47 of 64 parishes voted in favor of DFS in 2018, but the state couldn’t get another DFS bill passed in 2019.
On June 11, 2020, Governor John Bel Edwards officially legalized DFS contests when he signed LA HB 357 into law. Just four days after that, the governor signed LA HA 64 which set the tax rate for DFS operator revenue at 8%.
State officials are expecting to generate $375,000 each year from tax revenue and are working towards launching the industry before the 2020 NFL season.
2021 – April
In the first week of April, lawmakers pre-filed two bills in the state senate. As the month went on, one out of three bills made it out of committee. The bill would allow for 20 retail sportsbooks which could then partner with two online sportsbooks a piece.
The Louisiana Lottery would also be named the regulator of the industry and would be allowed to have sports betting kiosks at partnered lottery retailers. This could include even restaurants and bars.
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2021 – June
Three sports betting bills related to how sports betting is taxed and regulated were signed by Governor John Bel Edward. Experts believe that sports betting could be operational as soon as after the NFL season.