Louisiana sports betting makes big stride

Yesterday, sports betting in Louisiana took a step in the right direction. The state Senate voted 28-9 in favor of having sports betting being on the ballot in November. The ballot would entail choosing to go forward with SB 130 which would legalize sports wagering at Louisiana’s casinos and racetracks.

The next step for Senator Cameron Henry’s bill is heading to the House of Representatives for approval during its session on 1 June. If the House passes the bill, the next thing to be done would be passing two bills to decide the tax and details of sports betting in Louisiana. Henry’s bill doesn’t determine how the bets will be accepted.

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board would be regulating sports wagering in the state. Each parish would have the opportunity to vote on whether or not sports betting is right for their specific area.

This wasn't the only support that the state Senate showed this week for sports betting. Today, after a 23-9 vote, SB 378 is now headed to the House of Representatives as well. Senator Ronnie Johns' bill does not mention mobile sports betting but does permit sports wagers to be placed at retail locations that receive approval.

Dan Ippolito

As Casino City's associate editor, Dan produces and edits all of our weekly newsletters, and writes about the gaming industry for our websites and the GPWA Times Magazine. Dan graduated from Marist College in 2017 with a degree in Communications and a concentration in Sports. Email him at daniel@casinocity.com, or follow him at @casinocity_dan on Twitter.