Online Sports Betting Coming to Louisiana
Louisiana will soon join the list of states to have online sports betting. A bill to introduce the segment was signed into law in June of 2021 and made it possible for up to 41 mobile operators to do business within the state.
Retail sports betting has been in operation since October 31, with the eight casinos initially issued licenses taking in more than $5.6 million in revenue in November. In addition, the state gained an estimated $570,000 in tax earnings from the more than $27 million in wagers that were placed.
Mid-January Starting Date Possible
The state hopes to have online gaming in operation by the middle of January, during the NFL playoffs and before the Super Bowl, the biggest game that will be wagered on all year. There are currently thirteen licensed operators waiting to come online once state regulators give the go-ahead.
The Chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, Ronnie Johns, says the state is still working on licensing for the online sportsbooks and that the process for online betting is more complex than for retail operators.
Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns is hopeful to have online sports betting in the state running by the Super Bowl.He added that officials are working hard to finish the process but want to make sure and do it the right way. Although the goal is for January 2022, it could be as late as March before it’s rolled out.
Louisiana Has a Great Fan Base for Sports Betting
It’s needless to say, but sports are big in Louisiana, with 55 of 64 parishes in the state voting to approve online sports betting. The state’s two biggest football teams, the New Orleans Saints and the LSU Fighting Tigers, have a massive following of loyal fans waiting to wager on some of the biggest games involving these two.
In addition, with the New Orleans Pelicans’ NBA season currently underway, there will be lots of major sports games to wager for local fans if the online sportsbooks don’t start operating before the end of football season.
No official launch date has been set as the approval process gets wrapped up for online gaming. However, Johns says that the goal will be a mid-January launch date for a number of the operators that have applied since some applied later than others, and the applications are taken in the order they were sent in.
Part of the process is that the Louisiana State Police must inspect all operators before being approved to do business in the state.
Although most of the NFL online sports betting has been missed this season, Johns reiterates that it’s essential to have online betting up and running at least before the Super Bowl on February 13. After seeing November’s estimated earnings in the state’s traditional casinos, online wagering couldn’t be more anticipated.
