Legal sports betting in Louisiana came to be on October 31, 2021. Online legal sports betting in Louisiana launched on January 28, 2022. The Pelican State is unique in many ways and that also applies to sports betting. There is legal sports betting in Louisiana but you cannot make wagers online everywhere in the state. Nine parishes voted against online legal sports betting in Louisiana and you cannot wager online or mobile in those locales. However, there are now seven online sportsbooks available and 10 retail sportsbooks.
This guide will give you all the important information in terms of legal sports betting in Louisiana. From legal and tax issues and available sportsbooks and a timeline of events and the future of online sports betting in the state we have you covered. This guide will also show you how to get going on sports betting online in the Pelican State.
All legal sports betting options in Louisiana
The legal situation on Louisiana sports betting
In 2020 the issues of legal sports betting went to the voters in Louisiana. There are 64 parishes in the state and in all the other states they are known as counties. When the votes were tallied all but nine of the parishes voted to legalize sports betting. The parishes that you cannot wager in are:
- Caldwell
- Catahoula
- Franklin
- Jackson
- La Salle
- Sabine
- Union
- West Carroll
- Winn
Under state mandate the online sportsbooks must have geolocation verification technology, which means inside the above parishes you cannot make mobile or online sports bets. The online books are partnered with the land based casinos in the state. There are currently 20 of them and they are allowed two online skins each, so there can be up to 40 online sportsbooks in the Pelican State. As of June 2022 there are seven sportsbooks live. You must be at least 21 years old to gamble on sports in Louisiana.
Bill SB247 signed by Governor Bel Edwards set the regulatory framework for legal sports betting in the state while HB697 set the rules for licensing and taxing of sports wagering. Both of the bills were signed in June 2021. The state had planned to launch online sports betting in August 2021 but was delayed with the huge damages due to Hurricane Ida. Retail betting was launched in October 2021 and with the delay online sports betting launched in January 2022.
The Louisiana Lottery was also granted a sports betting license, where they have sports betting at kiosks, bars, and restaurants throughout the state. There is a 10% sports betting tax on gross revenues from online wagers and 15% for retail wagers. The license application fee is $250,000 and a five-year renewable license fee of $500,000. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board oversees all sports betting activities in the state.
🛑 What you can’t bet on from online sportsbooks in Louisiana
Louisiana is a state where there are few restrictions on what you can bet on. You can bet on in-state college teams, such as LSU, and you can also make player and team prop bets for college sports.
Here are the restrictions on what you cannot bet on in Louisiana :
- Entertainment bets such as for the Emmys and Oscars
- Political bets such as the U.S. presidential election
- Any college prop bet dealing with player injuries or disqualification
🟢 What you can bet on from online sportsbooks in Louisiana
- NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, NCAA Baseball
- Major Domestic Leagues, including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, MLB, MMA, UFC, etc.
- Major International Leagues, including England Premier League, Italy Serie A, Spain La Liga, etc.
- Major sports events, including NBA playoffs and finals, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup, The Masters, Olympics, etc.
- Most betting types, including spreads, moneylines, totals (over/under), parlays, futures, proposition bets (pro sports and college props), and live bets.
- eSports
What is the tax situation in LouisianaÂ
In Louisiana there is a 10% sports betting tax on gross revenue for online bets and 15% for retail bets. The tax money taken in by the state goes into the state’s general fund and is also used for behavioral health organizations and early childhood education. Since the launch of legal sports betting in the Pelican State it has taken in nearly $10 million in taxes.
All the available sportsbooks in Louisiana
- Caesars
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Barstool Sportsbook
- WynnBet
Forecasts about the future of online gambling in Louisiana  Â
The future is very bright for sports betting in the Pelican State. There are 40 skins available, two per land based casino in the state, and there are already seven live sportsbooks even though online sports betting launched around six months ago. Not only are there 10 retail sportsbooks in the state but with the Louisiana Lottery also having a license retail wagering is available in bars, restaurants, and betting kiosks. The 10 retail sportsbooks are located at the casinos of:
- Boomtown Casino & Hotel New Orleans
- Harrah’s New Orleans Hotel & Casino
- Horseshoe Bossier Hotel and Casino
- L’Auberge Casino Hotel Baton Rouge
- L’Auberge Casino Hotel Lake Charles
- Paragon Casino Resort and Hotel
- Margaritaville Resort Casino
- Boomtown Casino Hotel
- Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino
- Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino
Timeline of main events in Louisiana
- January 2022 – Online sports betting launches
- October 2021 – Retail sports betting launches
- June 2021 – SB 247 signed into law legalizing sports betting
- June 2021 – HB697 signed into law setting the rules for licensing and taxing of sports wagering
- November 2020 – 54 of the 63 parishes in the state vote to legalize sports betting
- May 2018 – The Supreme Court overturns Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which made sports betting legal on a state-by-state basis
- 1940 – Casinos and horse racing legalized
How do I start betting online in Louisiana   Â
It is a very quick and easy process to start betting online in Louisiana. The first thing you must do is choose one of the licensed sportsbooks available and sign up for an account. Then you will have to go through the identification verification process, so the sportsbooks can make sure who you say you are. You will have to give the sportsbooks info such as:Â
- Full name
- BirthdayÂ
- Social Security NumberÂ
- Personal verification informationÂ
If the identification process is successful you will get a confirmation email from the sportsbook. Then you can head to the sportsbook you chose and begin to wager on your favorite sports.Â
FAQs
The Louisiana Gaming Control Board  regulates all online and retail sports betting activities in the state.
Yes. If you look at two different states that have the same sportsbook, such as DraftKings Michigan and DraftKings Louisiana the odds will be exactly the same. Different sportsbook operators will have different odds but they are still very similar.
One main difference is that while sports betting is legal in Louisiana you cannot make bets in the nine parishes (counties) that voted against legalizing sports betting. Another difference is that the Pelican State has very few restrictions on what you cannot bet on, as, for example, you can make college team and player props while that is not the case in other states. There are also more places to make retail wagers. There are currently 10 retail sportsbooks and with the Louisiana Lottery also having a license retail sports wagering is available at kiosks and some bars and restaurants in the state.
Yes. In 2020, 54 of the 63 parishes in the state voted to legalize sports betting. It officially became legal when Gov. Bel Edwards signed SB247 into law. You cannot wager online in the nine parishes that voted against legal sports betting.
You must be 21 years old to gamble on sports in Louisiana.
If you are at least 21 years old you can bet on sports online at any of the state licensed online sportsbooks. Again, because of geolocation technology you will not be able to make bets online if you are within the borders of the nine parishes that voted against legal sports betting.
No. You do not need to be a resident of Louisiana to wager on sports. However, you must be in the state borders and within the parishes that allow for sports betting to make a wager.
Yes. You can access your Louisiana online sportsbook out of state but you must be in and in the parishes that allow for sports betting to make a sports bet. Still, you can do other things out of the Pelican State such as check odds, contact customer service, and make deposits and withdrawals.