Mobile Sports Betting to Go Live in Louisiana

In November of 2021, the retail sports betting windows opened at riverboat casinos all through the state of Louisiana. It was the first step in what had been a long journey to bring sports betting to the residents of the state. The legislation that made this possible was passed a year earlier when voters in 55 of the state’s 64 parishes said they wanted the right to bet on sports.

In the first two months of retail sports betting, more than $67 million in handle was brought in by 11 retail sportsbooks. That resulted in $10.1 in gross revenue, which calculates out to an impressive hold rate of 14.9%. About two-thirds of the way through January, it seems clear that January’s handle and revenue will far exceed anything that was taken in during the two prior months.

Now comes news that 13 mobile operators have been given the green light to start taking mobile bets on the morning of January 28, 2022. Among the bookmakers given that green light was FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, BetFred, and BetMGM. With just a couple of days until launch, only BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and DraftKings have confirmed they are ready for launch.

Of the aforementioned operators, Caesars Sportsbook has arguably the largest vested interest in the state of Louisiana. Earlier in 2021, the bookmaker was able to secure a great marketing deal with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. As part of that deal, Caesars will get naming rights to the historic Superdome where the Saints play all of their home games.

If current trends hold true, Louisiana mobile bookmakers will be looking to smash the numbers brought in to date. It’s quite possible that January 2022 will exceed the $100 million handle mark to be followed by a February that could see that number triple to $300 million.

The timing could not have been better for a January 28 launch. Just two days later, sports bettors will be wagering on the NFL Conference Championship Games. Going into February, all available mobile operators will be in line to take wagers on the Super Bowl. It would be a shame for any of them to get so close and yet miss out on the most important sports betting event of the year.

As part of the original legislation, sports betting licenses were also allocated to the Louisiana Lottery and an assortment of other gambling providers (race tracks, sports bar) located throughout the state. According to current estimates, any number of sports betting kiosks under the management of the Lottery could be launching as early as March of 2022. They too will be licensed to provide both retail and mobile betting options.

Along with getting access to sports betting markets all over the world. Louisiana mobile sports bettors can expect the state’s top mobile operators to put forth exciting welcome offers to draw customers. With as many as 25 mobile apps taking bets in the coming month, welcome bonuses are the way only bookmakers can compete for business.