Louisiana

Whether it’s professional or collegiate sports, Louisiana has no shortage of teams. Since sports betting was passed in the state in January 2022, residents can wager on these teams across eight well-known mobile betting apps.

Louisiana has an excellent mix of professional and college teams throughout the state, and bettors have no restrictions on wagering on those teams. Residents are fully allowed to place bets on in-state colleges, and they also have access to some of the top daily fantasy sports apps on the market.

Horse racing was legal in the state long before the sports betting bill was introduced, so betting on it is legal in LA. The two biggest things that residents cannot wager on are politics and eSports.

Online sports betting in The Pelican State

The state of Louisiana is divided into parishes, and in November 2020, when the sports betting bill was introduced for them to vote on, 55 of the 64 parishes voted for legalization. Technically, the state only needed one parish to say yes for the bill to be passed, but in this case, the more, the merrier.

After the vote, Governor John Bel Edwards would officially sign three sports betting-related bills in June 2021, opening the door for retail betting to launch in October. The only places sports betting would not be authorized in the state would be in the nine parishes that voted against the bills.

The online sports betting market in Louisiana has not even begun to reach its full potential. Under the state's sports betting bill, 40 online sportsbooks are legally allowed to enter the market. Right now, there are just eight, but that list includes the biggest names in the market, including DraftKings, Caesars, BetRivers, FanDuel, and more.

Each online operator is partnered with one of the 20 retail locations available in the state, as each retail location is legally allowed to partner with two online skins. In addition to the retail locations, the Louisiana Lottery is also legally allowed to partner with an online operator, which would expand sports betting even more.

Growth in the online market is expected to continue. Still, it will likely be a slower process, as the state only welcomed two new operators to the market in 2023, after the six other operators have been a part of the betting scene since the launch in January 2022. Between the sheer number of retail locations and sports franchises in the state, Louisiana should be a favorable market location for operators to expand their reach.

All legal LA sports betting apps in 2024 (from newest to oldest):

Recently Closed Online Sportsbooks

Sports betting & gambling legislation in LA

While sports betting is legal in Louisiana, residents still need to follow the rules and regulations. For example, a resident must be at least 21 to place a legal wager in the state. Additionally, customers have the option for remote registration in LA, but they must be within the state line to play a wager on those mobile apps. In Louisiana, it is also important to remember that bettors must be within the 55 parishes that approve sports betting, as nine parishes in the state still oppose the bill.

All retail and online sportsbooks must follow the guidelines set by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, as they reward licenses and ensure each operator abides by the regulations laid out in the sports betting bill.

Since the purpose or goal of sports betting for most people is to win, it is also essential to highlight the tax rate. On all winnings above $600, the state will withhold 4.25%, which is the highest individual state income tax rate. This is in addition to the federal tax rate of 24%.

Online casinos and online poker remain illegal in the state, but there does not seem to be a strong push to legalize them at the moment. However, with how well sports betting has done, there is always a chance a bill regarding online casinos will make its way onto the ballot at some point. With those two markets still unavailable, the only other gambling-related market that is offered down in the Bayou is the lottery.

Most recent updates from the LA sports betting scene

• September 12, 2024: The LSU Tigers are set to play their first SEC Conference game, as they will head to South Carolina, where they are favored by a touchdown.

• September 4, 2024: To start the 2024 NFL regular season, the New Orleans Saints will host the Carolina Panthers. The Saints are currently (-4) point favorites.

• September 2, 2024: The LSU Tigers opened their season with a 27-20 loss against USC, failing to cover as (-4) point favorites.

• August 27, 2024: LSU will play in the standalone Sunday night football game to open week one of the college football season. The Tigers are currently (-4) point favorites over USC.

• August 15, 2024: After a long wait, Fanatics finally launches its betting app in Louisiana. Thus, the state's bettors has now a total of nine top-tier online and mobile sportsbooks available.

• July 16, 2024: Former LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte had all underage gambling charges against him dropped by the state. He could still end up being disciplined by the NFL.

• June 28, 2024: The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell, and draft picks. The Pelicans are now (+5000) to win the title in 2024-25.

• June 17, 2024: Former LSU head football coach Les Miles is suing the school, the NCAA, and the National Football Foundation as he looks to regain eligibility for the College Football Hall of Fame.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Louisiana’s retail betting scene differs slightly from most states with legalized sports betting. There are 20 retail locations in the state, and they are broken into 15 riverboat casinos, one land-based casino, and four racetracks.

All of these locations are within the 55 parishes that agreed to the state’s sports betting bill, and thanks to that bill, each has the option to partner with two online operators.

• Amelia Belle (500 Lake Palourde Road, Amelia)

• Bally's Shreveport (451 Clyde Fant Parkway, Shreveport)

• Boomtown Bossier City (300 Riverside Drive, Bossier City)

• Boomtown New Orleans (4132 Peters Road, Harvey)

• Coushatta Casino (777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder)

• Delta Downs (2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton)

• Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino (2235 Creswell Lane Extension, Opelousas)

• Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots (1751 Gentilly Blvd, New Orleans)

• Golden Nugget Lake Charles (2550 Golden Nugget Blvd, Lake Charles)

• Harrah’s New Orleans (228 Poydras Street, New Orleans)

• Horseshoe Bossier City (711 Horseshoe Boulevard, Bossier City)

• Horseshoe Casino Lake Charles (100 Westlake Ave, Westlake)

• L’Auberge Casino Lake Charles (777 Ave L’Auberge, Lake Charles)

• L’Auberge Casino Baton Rouge (777 L’Auberge Ave, Baton Rouge)

• Louisiana Downs (8000 East Texas Street, Bossier City)

• Margaritaville Resort Casino (777 Margaritaville Way, Bossier City)

• Paragon Casino Resort (711 Paragon Place, Marksville)

• The Queen Baton Rouge (1717 River Rd, Baton Rouge)

• Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino Shreveport (315 Clyde Fant Pkwy, Shreveport)

• Treasure Chest Casino (5050 Williams Boulevard, Kenner)

Sports betting in neighboring states

Louisiana has three border states, two of which have legalized sports betting, and the other being Texas. Both Arkansas and Mississippi have been able to pass a sports betting bill, while Texas remains one of the biggest states not to offer any sort of legal sports betting.

To find out more about why Texas remains on the “no” list for sports betting legislation or which sportsbooks are available in Mississippi, you can select them in the box down below.

Sports betting revenue impact on Louisiana's economy

Louisiana’s first full year with legal sports betting was 2022, and by the end of the year, they had amassed over $2 billion in sports betting handle alone. This was a pretty strong indicator that LA would become one of the highest-earning states every month, which also rang true in 2023.

The state's size and the market's size certainly impact a state's performance, and Louisiana is well off in both departments. Between the pre-existing casinos and prominent sports betting apps, it is not much of a shock that LA entered 2024 with a record-breaking month of over $50 million in revenue in December 2023.

When sports betting became legal in LA, 15 retail locations became eligible to receive licenses. These licenses allow these locations to offer retail and online wagering as long as they pay the $750,000 fee that comes with the license. The sports betting tax rates vary depending on whether the book is online or retail. Online books have to pay a 15% tax rate, while retail books have a rate of 10%.

Louisiana sports betting record months:

• Sports betting handle: December 2023 ($377,046,556)

• Revenue: December 2023 ($56,511,836)

• Tax income: December 2023 ($7,590,704)

LA sports betting revenue in 2024