Is Sports Betting Legal in Louisiana?
Sports betting is legal in Louisiana, but the market has not gone live. Itās expected to launch at some point during the 2021 NFL season. The state legislature aims to establish sports betting by the first week of competition, but this will be very difficult based on where Louisiana is on its wagering timeline.
LA should have good sports betting market in the deep south. Voters in the state were the impetus for the legislature to pass a sports betting bill, which proves there is an appetite for gambling in the state.
Football season is a time where sportsbooks experience massive handles. As the NFL season approaches the playoffs, betting skyrockets. If Louisiana sports betting goes live at some point during the season, the state will still generate substantial profits.
Nevertheless, until the market launches, residents will continue to use offshore sportsbooks in the state. Offshore sportsbooks do not complete betting transactions in the United States, even though they are primarily used by Americans.
Can we use Offshore sportsbooks to bet in Louisiana?
Offshore books can be utilized throughout the nation if a person has an internet connection. Some of the best offshore sportsbooks are Bovada and MyBookie. These sites dominated the industry, but they have declined since legal sports betting entered the United States.
There are still many states that have not passed wagering bills. There are also states like Louisiana that have passed betting, but the legislatures are still in the planning process. People in LA have been utilizing offshore sportsbooks for years.
This will not stop until legal sportsbooks go live in LA. The Louisana legislature did pass universal sports betting, but some parishes or counties in the state did not favor wagering. Mobile betting will not be allowed in these parishes, so offshore betting could continue in the state.
Yet, offshore sports betting should drastically decline once Louisianaās wagering market goes live. Louisiana and the rest of the United States gained access to sports betting in 2018. In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was unconstitutional.
What was PASPA?
PASPA was the legislation that kept sports betting out of 46 states in the country when it was passed in 1992. Some areas, like Nevada, were able to continue offering sports betting.
Once PASPA was put into effect, the southern states shunned sports betting. Itās remarkable how far the area has come in terms of betting. The Louisiana legislature began the sports wagering legislative process in 2019 when Senator Danny Martin passed S153.
This bill authorized sports betting at gambling casinos in Louisiana as well as racetracks. Although, this bill was loaded with added amendments that kept it from passing in 2019. Martin tried to rebrand S153 as a daily fantasy sports bill, but this tactic was unsuccessful.
In 2020, legislators tried to legalize sports betting. Ultimately, lawmakers who favored wagering got a bill passed that gave voters the power to pass sports betting. Additionally, the bill made the Louisiana Gaming Control Board the governing body over sports betting.
Did the sports betting bill pass?
The stateās parishes supported sports betting in a nearly unanimous fashion. Fifty-five of the 64 parishes in the states passed sports betting inside their respective regions. When sports betting launches, the nine parishes that voted against the industry will not have mobile wagering access.
These are the areas where offshore sports betting is likely to continue to some extent. Lawmakers were excited about the favoritism towards sports betting because it would be easy to pass a sports betting bill.
The 2021 legislative session began on April 12th, and lawmakers were eager to start discussing sports betting. Seven wagering bills were pre-filed before the legislature convened to start the year.
Lawmakers wanted mobile sports betting in the state, so some pieces of legislation were automatically discarded. The early favorite was HB697 which passed in the House. It included online and retail betting.
Online revenue was taxed at 18% compared to retail profits, where the state took 18%. This structure was like other states, and it was favored by the Louisiana Senate. The bill was passed in the Senate and sent to Governor John Edwards for his stamp of approval on May 20, 2021.
Other bills also were sent to the governor, like SB247 and SB142. SB247 allowed for up to 20 sports betting licenses in the state. However, the only facilities that could apply for licenses were current gaming facilities.
SB142 dealt with sports betting revenue. The Senate determined that the majority of the taxes would go towards the stateās general fund. The parishes where sports betting occurred would receive most of the funding from online gambling Louisiana.
Sports Betting Into Effect
Governor Edwards wasted little time signing sports betting into effect. He passed HB697 on June 7, 2021, which made sports betting legal in the 55 parishes that supported the industry in the 2020 election.
SB247 was passed on the final day of Louisianaās legislative session on June 10, 2021. Governor Edwards has not signed this bill, but his signature is expected shortly, which will allow for a launch by football season.
Mobile and retail betting will be allowed in Louisiana. Casinos, bars, and restaurants will host retail betting facilities, and mobile wagering will be permitted in the 55 of 64 parishes in LA. DraftKings and FanDuel were two of the companies that lobbied for sports betting in the state.
These sportsbooks are available in nearly every legal betting state. They are expected to be two of the first to go live in LA. Other sites like BetMGM, FOX Bet, and Barstool Sportsbook are also likely to be on this list of betting providers in the state.
Five Reasons to Bet on Sports in Louisiana
When LA sports betting launches, itās going to be a fantastic market. There are avid sports fans throughout the state, and this has already been noticed by betting providers looking to enter Louisiana.
Great Bonuses
DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbook are expected to be included in gambling in Louisiana. These books are fantastic because of the number of bonuses provided. You will receive risk-free bets, and deposit matches up to $1,000.
Not every sportsbook has tremendous offers like DraftKings and FanDuel. However, the LA market will be loaded with platforms, so you will find great bonuses throughout the state.
Offshore sportsbooks, like Bovada and BetUS, are famous for their generous welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions for existing customers. If you deposit using a cryptocurrency, your bonus gets a boost!
Safety
Sportsbooks must protect bettorsā personal information. This includes social security numbers and financial data. Sportsbooks go through stringent security tests to assure that there will be no issues keeping private information safe.
Safety checks will be frequent in LA to assure that sportsbooksā data records are not easy to crack.
Customer Service
If you have an issue with a betting platform, it will be solved seamlessly in LA when the market goes live. Sportsbooks earn an outstanding reputation by keeping users happy. Customer service is one area where sportsbooks can win over users.
DraftKings and FanDuel, as well as many other books that will launch in LA, are phenomenal with customer service. They have massive FAQ sections, so you do not always have to speak to a real person. If you need assistance, you can contact sportsbook representatives by phone, email, or live chat in most cases.
Most of the offshore sportsbooks offer a 24/7 live chat, email, FAQs, and a phone number.
Tons of Odds
A few points separate sports betting in many cases. This is where line shopping is critical. In LA, the betting framework helps you win. There are 20 sports betting licenses available for casinos, bars, and restaurants.
Every license gives businesses access to two mobile betting skins. There could be 40 mobile providers in the state, which will help you win money in the long run. If you utilize multiple sportsbooks, it will pay dividends.
Amazing Reputation
Online gambling Louisiana has not launched yet, but the industry already has an excellent reputation. Major sportsbooks are expected to launch in the state, which has caused people to look to the LA market as a competitor in the south.
Great reputations are challenging for a sportsbook to achieve. Although, the companies that plan on launching in the state are superior in the United States.
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