Louisiana Sports Betting Starts Strong

Online sports betting in the state of Louisiana is finally available, and sportsbooks saw plenty of action during the first weekend. In fact, Louisiana actually surpassed New York in one important total, which could lead to a huge market emerging in this state. 

According to GeoComply, a company that uses a geolocation service to track players’ physical location accessing online sportsbooks, more than 3.4 million unique transactions took place in Louisiana during the first full weekend of wagering. 

A majority of that action was centered in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, but bettors placed bets from all over the state.

The 3.4 million represented nearly four percent of all of the adult population in the state of Louisiana. That surpassed the percentage that came in from New York during its opening weekend, as that state totaled just 3.4 percent. 

What makes this figure even more impressive is that state-wide mobile wagering isn’t completely allowed in Louisiana. There are still nine parishes in the state that don’t allow online sports betting, but the rest of the state made up for it. 

Launching right before the NFL Conference Championship games were set to be played was a wise decision from the state, but there were other betting markets available as well. 

 

Already a Top 10 Market?

The 3.4 million unique transactions that occurred during the first weekend in Louisiana were the eighth-most in the country for that specific weekend. That could mean that Louisiana will ultimately become a top-ten market, but more will go into it.

Each state that launches online sports betting has seen a huge boost during the opening weekend. Sportsbooks are all offering welcome bonuses or promotions as a way to attract customers. 

Retail sports wagering has been available in the state’s casinos since Oct. 31. The total retail betting handle was $39.5 million for December, but that total should be up in January. 

 

Bengals Set to Bring in Bets

The Super Bowl was always going to be a massive event for online sportsbooks in Louisiana, but this industry will get an even bigger boost. 

The Cincinnati Bengals are 4.5-point betting favorites against the Los Angeles Rams, but there will be plenty of action taken on the underdogs in this game. 

That’s because the Bengals feature quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, both of whom helped lead the LSU Tigers to a College Football Championship. LSU is one of the most popular teams in Louisiana, and those two specific players are beloved by football fans in the state. 

With their roots to LSU, many Louisiana bettors could be siding with the Bengals in Super Bowl, LVI, due to the presence of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.

There are 31 different wagering events available in the state of Louisiana, but football will remain on top until the Super Bowl is all wrapped up on Feb. 13.