Louisiana Moves Closer to Sports Betting

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has not set an official launch date for online sports betting, but things are heading in the right direction. That group made it clear that the Super Bowl on February 13 was the target date, but that timetable might have changed just a bit. 

The state of New York was recently able to launch this industry, putting plenty of pressure on Louisiana to keep up. With the NFL Playoffs set to begin this weekend, operators are also putting pressure on the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to give them the green light. 

Retail betting is available in Louisiana at the casinos located throughout the state. That has allowed bettors to get in on the action, but only on a limited basis. Some of the top operators have already lined up to launch in Louisiana, which should create a highly competitive market right from the beginning. 

The New Orleans Saints will not be competing in the NFL Playoffs this season, but that won’t diminish interest in the sport. Launching before the Super Bowl would allow sportsbooks to get off to a good start, but it would be even better if they could take action on the playoffs. 

While the New Orleans Saints won’t be in the postseason, sports betting launching in Louisiana before the Super Bowl could lead to numerous NFL bets.

The state’s gaming control board will not set an official launch date as it doesn’t want to get hopes up if something goes wrong. 

Problems With Geofencing

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has had some issues trying to figure out geofencing, which has been one reason for the delay. This is an issue in every state, but the problem has become much larger and unique in Louisiana.

There are 64 parishes in the state, but only 55 of those voted to approve online sports betting. This means that online sportsbooks cannot work statewide and have to find a way to block transactions made in the nine parishes that voted it down. 

Voters in Louisiana produced a similar result when lawmakers approached the topic of daily fantasy sports. It was ultimately approved in nearly every parish, but some areas of the state kept this industry shut down. 

Plenty of Options Available 

The Louisiana State Police will play an essential role in the online sports betting industry in Louisiana. It will be the police that are checking over the license applications and then making recommendations to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. 

Louisiana is set to become a massive online market as 41 different online licenses are available. Each casino in the state can offer up to two skins to potential partners, and the Louisiana Lottery Corp is also given an online license. 

Since Louisiana is the first in the Gulf Coast region to offer online sports betting, it is expected to attract bettors from many states. Texas could prove to be a huge asset to this state as residents will travel to Louisiana to place a wager.