Despite previous failures, Louisiana is considering yet again a sports betting law. A handful of separate bills could approve retail and mobile betting limited to brick-and-mortal venues, similar to the Mississippi model. Lawmakers may also call for a parish-by-parish referendum on the issue.
Legislators won’t be able to consider the five bills on the table until the session begins March 9. According to US Bets, Louisiana will likely fail to pass legislation in 2020. And even if successful, the state couldn’t tackle the taxes involved until 2021.
Louisiana’s casino market was worth $3.08 billion in 2019, according to data from the University of Nevada Center for Gaming Research. That was down 2.3 percent compared to 2018 and the worst results since 2014.
US Bets believes statewide online/mobile is the only way to ensure long-term competitiveness with other states. In both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, some 90 percent of the sports wagering handle takes place online.
Mississippi has only averaged about $31 million in handle per month since it began betting in August 2018.
