On Friday, January 28, mobile sports betting went live in Louisiana with six sites available for wagering in the state.
Officials are expecting millions of dollars in annual revenue, with 25 percent going toward early childhood education. On opening day, Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns said, “The activity today has just been very heavy, it’s steady. You can do it on your phone, you can do it on your iPad, you can do it on your computer. You don’t have to get in your car and run to the casino.”
GeoComply verified 2.68 million geolocation transactions occurred in the first 48 hours of legalized sports betting, with 68 percent of the transactions in Orleans and East Baton Rouge parishes, the most heavily populated in the state.
Residents in the nine parishes that rejected sports betting will be blocked from placing bets online. Also, players must be age 21 to participate. That came into question on opening day, when an email sent from GEAUX-MAIL, the official email of Louisiana State University Athletics, offered students, faculty, fans and other subscribers $300 in free bets after placing an initial $20 wager with Caesars Entertainment’s Caesars Sportsbook. The email does state only individuals age 21 or older can place a bet.
In September, LSU signed a “multi-year, 7-figure deal” with Caesars to make it the exclusive sportsbook of the athletics department. At the time the university issued a statement, Caesars noted it would “not market to students or fans under the age of 21.”
According to USA Today, more than 67 million wagers were made at Louisiana’s 11 retail sportsbooks during November and December. The sportsbooks accepted 67.1 million total wagers and made nearly $10.1 million across the two months.
