Mobile sports betting went live in Louisiana at 8 a.m. Friday, January 28, as the Louisiana Gaming Control Board issued temporary mobile sports betting licenses, in time for the National Football League conference championship games. Chairman Ronnie Johns said, “Our goal was to have it available before the Super Bowl, so we were able to beat that target.”
FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, WynnBET and BetMGM were among the first mobile apps to offer online sports wagering. Sports betting at Louisiana’s 13 retail casino sportsbooks launched in October. A 14th Louisiana sportsbook is located at the Paragon Casino in Marksville, operated by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and not regulated by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.
Voters in 55 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes approved legalizing sports betting in their communities in 2020. Legislators established the framework to regulate and tax sports wagers during the 2021 spring session. Harrah’s in New Orleans and Bossier City were the first of the state’s 14 retail sportsbooks to take wagers. Penn National Gaming began taking wagers at two of its five Louisiana properties on November 1. Boyd Gaming operates five locations and partners with FanDuel for its digital platform.
Each of the state’s 20 brick-and-mortar locations will be entitled to two digital skins, or platforms. The Louisiana Lottery also will be allowed to have a platform, bringing the total to 41 skins. DraftKings, Golden Nugget, TwinSpires and WynnBET all also have market access.
WynnBET, which partners with the Bossier City Hotel and Casino, announced former National Basketball Association and Louisiana State University star Shaquille O’Neal will be its marketing spokesman. The company is offering a “Bet $10, Win $250” offering customers $250 in free bets when they make their first $10 bet.
Sports betting will still be prohibited in the nine parishes where it was rejected by voters. Geofencing technology will prevent individuals from placing mobile wagers in those parishes.
