The Louisiana Gaming Control Board recently issued sports betting licenses to Margaritaville and Boomtown casinos, both located in Bossier City.
The new licenses are the eighth and ninth sports betting operations in Louisiana. Five more sports betting licenses are awaiting State Police and Gaming Control Board approval. Gaming Control Board Executive Director Ronnie Johns said he expects even more applications before the year ends.
The Sportsbook at Margaritaville opened with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony. Margaritaville Vice President General Manager Barry Regula said, “We are excited to welcome all sports to the Sportsbook at Margaritaville. We will offer more ways to bet and more ways to win, and we look forward to becoming a destination for fans of all sports.”
Boomtown Assistant General Manager and Chief Financial Officer Mike Gallagher said the Sportsbook at Boomtown, which also opened with a ribbon-cutting, offers 10 sports-betting kiosks and three ticket-writing stations.
Gaming Control Board Executive Director Ronnie Johns issued the first state sports betting licenses last month to Harrah’s New Orleans, L’Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge, Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City and Boomtown Casino in Harvey. More recently, sports wagering licenses were issued to Golden Nugget and L’Auberge Casino in Lake Charles.
The Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, owned by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and not regulated by the state, opened Louisiana’s ninth sports betting operation on October 6.
In fall 2020, voters in 55 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes approved legalizing sports betting in their communities. However, lawmakers established the framework for regulating and taxing sports wagers during the 2021 spring Legislative Session.
At first, sports bets must be placed at on-site sports books or betting parlors located in several of the state’s 20 riverboat and land-based casinos and racetracks. Johns said mobile online wagering probably won’t be available until 2022.
