Louisiana Sports Betting Set to Launch
Online sports betting is coming to Louisiana, and it is coming in at the perfect time. Louisiana Gaming Control Board chairman Ronnie Johns announced that these sites will be able to launch on Friday at 8 a.m. CT.
This has been a long time coming for Louisiana, and there were some rumors that the launch might not happen until February. By allowing online sportsbooks to go live on Friday, those sites will be able to accept wagers on the NFL conference championship games.
There are 20 licensed casinos in the state, and each casino can apply for two online skins. Don’t expect 40 online sportsbooks to all go live as of Friday, but there will be some terrific options available.
The Lottery Corp is also allowed to apply for an online skin, and these sportsbooks will be launching on a rolling basis. Mobile betting will only be available in specific parts of the state as 55 of the 64 parishes approved this as a legal option.
Louisiana sportsbooks are expected to get plenty of business from sports bettors with a Texas address. Those that live in Texas can cross over into the state to make legal wagers on a mobile device.
Pre-Registration Set to Close
A handful of online sportsbooks have been accepting pre-registration from bettors to boost the customer base before this industry’s launch. Not only were customers allowed to sign up, but there were some big offers available as well.
BetMGM is expected to be one of the leaders of online sports betting in Louisiana, and it was awarding new accounts free bets worth up to $200. That is on top of the welcome offer from BetMGM that gives bettors a risk-free bet worth up to $1,000.
Other online sportsbooks in Louisiana had pre-registration offers available, but those are set to close now that a launch date has been announced. Each sportsbook that can go live on Friday is expected to have a terrific welcome offer available for new bettors.
Plenty of Betting Options
The National Football League will attract much of the action during the first weekend, but bettors have no shortage of betting options available. The sportsbooks can offer both professional and college sports, which adds another long list of betting options.
The Louisiana sports betting law does not prohibit betting on college sporting events featuring teams from the state, which will provide a considerable boost. College football is done for the year, but college basketball will continue to heat up over the next few months.
Unlike other sports, residents of the state will be able to bet on Louisiana’s college sports.Sportsbooks can also offer betting on esports events, but they have to ask for permission before setting the odds for these competitions.
Promotions for the first weekend will focus on NFL Football, but that won’t be the only betting options available.
