Louisiana Mobile Sports Betting Has Finally Launched in the State

Louisiana saw the launch of retail sportsbooks three months ago. But now, Louisiana mobile sports betting has also launched. Back on October 31st, Louisiana sports betting launched, but regulators have to continue to work to build the foundation for mobile wagering in the state. 

Finally, there are six operators that are able to take bets online in the state. This past Wednesday, the Chair for the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, Ronnie Johns, gave the all-clear to six sportsbooks to launch in the state. These sportsbooks are: BetRivers Sportsbook, BetMGM Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, Barstool Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and DraftKings Sportsbook. 

These sportsbooks all confirmed their plans to launch on that Friday. 55 of the 64 parishes in the state approved sports betting in 2020, and this is where these online sportsbooks will be available. 

In the first two months of operation, the handle from retail sportsbooks showed great growth. In November, 11 retail sportsbooks saw a $27.6 million handle in the state, and in December these sportsbooks took in $39.5 million in bets. This is a 43% increase between the two months.

There are two professional sports teams in Louisiana, the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans and the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. Plus, they also have a major SEC player in LSU.

Plus, Texas cities Houston and Dallas are both huge metropolitan areas that are within a comparatively short drive to Louisiana. Because Texas sports betting is not yet legal, Louisiana could continue to benefit from Texas sports bettors. 

Now that mobile sports betting has launched in Louisiana, the competition for the top sportsbook slot will be heating up. Caesars has made a big push to claim that top spot by making a number of deals for partnerships in the state. These include: a partnership with LSU, an agreement with NOLA.com, as well as 20-year naming rights for the Superdome.

However, other operators have made their inroads as well. This includes DraftKings, who launched as the first daily fantasy sports operator in the state this past summer. And, this launch was followed by FanDuel’s daily fantasy sports launch in the fall.

In addition, in the fall, BetMGM launched its own horse racing app in the state. Plus, WynnBet has secured as an ambassador former LSU and NBA star Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal. PointsBet has struck up a deal with Drew Brees, a former Saints quarterback and NBC football analyst.

In spring 2021, while building the foundation of Louisiana sports betting legislation, legislators in the state were hopeful for a sports betting launch by the beginning of the NFL season. However, retail sports betting was not able to launch in Louisiana until October 31st last year. At about that same time, Chairman Johns hoped that online sports betting in Louisiana could launch in the beginning of 2022.

However, by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board meeting in December, Johns had shifted his goal launch date to February 13th, with the hope to capitalize on Super Bowl betting. The January launch means that sportsbooks will be able to take advantage of even more NFL betting action. This is especially good as Louisiana sports fans will be cheering on former LSU star player Joe Burrow in the AFC Championship Game.

There are even more Louisiana sports betting apps that are still awaiting approval to launch in the state. Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in the state is owned by Churchill Downs, which means TwinSpires could be receiving a sports betting license soon. WynnBet was able to gain access to the market through Caesars. PointsBet has a deal with Penn National and has gained its access that way.

According to state regulations, there can be up to 40 Louisiana online sportsbooks. This is because each of Louisiana’s 20 casinos has received two skins according to the sports betting legislation in the state. In addition, the Louisiana Lottery will also be able to have an online presence.

The Louisiana Lottery will also have a presence through kiosks at retailers throughout the Bayou State. A process for the lottery to find a sportsbook partner is currently happening, with responses to an RFI due in a couple weeks on February 15th.

Written by Allie Nelson, our US Sports Betting Industry Expert.