First Legal Sportsbooks Open In Louisiana - Online Sports Betting to Follow

The pathway to legalized online sports betting in Louisiana has been a long and winding one. After years of delay, the first legal sportsbook in Louisiana began taking bets in early October. The live betting retail shop is located within the Paragon tribal casino and resort in Marksville, Louisiana.

The opening of live retail betting now paves the wave for licensing of online sportsbooks. The first online sportsbooks in Louisiana could begin to appear before the end of 2021. Online sports betting is expected to be in full swing with multiple providers by early 2022.

The Road to Online Sports Betting in Louisiana

The Louisiana legislature debated the issue for several years. A common roadblock was offered by lobbying interests for the state's horse racing industry. Many contended that sports betting would harm the horse racing tracks in the state. Some of those tracks are already on the verge of collapse.

A version of the sports betting law was then presented which would allow live casino venues to accept bets for sports. Most of the state's race tracks also include a casino. This would make it possible for those facilities to also offer sports betting.

The law also allows for live facilities to expand their sports betting offerings to include online betting.

Online Sportsbooks Line Up for Louisiana Licensing

Many of the existing online sportsbooks in the United States are expected to seek licensing in Louisiana. This could include sportsbooks such as PointsBet or Caesars Sportsbook. The licensing process is currently in full swing.

Another group of providers that will seek licensing are the fantasy sportsbooks. These include DraftKings and other similar applications. Wagering on fantasy sports has been legal in Louisiana for several years, but snafus regarding licensing and the collection of taxable revenue have prevented the advancement of these platforms.

There are no longer any hurdles that have to be crossed before online sports betting in Louisiana can begin. All that remains are the issuance of licenses and the building of the platforms.