SPORTS BETTING
US – Sports betting bill clears Louisiana House and heads to Governor’s office
By Phil - 7 June 2021
Louisiana sports betting moved a step closer with Senate Bill 247 clearing the Louisiana House by a vote of 78 to 15 and heading to Governor John Bel Edwards’ office for the expected signature.
It will allow for all 16 casinos and four racetracks in the state to apply for land-based betting licenses and two digital betting licences. Temporary licenses could even be brought in to allow for mobile sports betting to take place whilst retail sportsbooks are being constructed. It will cost $250,000 to apply for a license with a successful application then costing $500,000 for a five-year license. Retail betting tax will be set at 10 per cent with a 15 per cent tax on online betting.
The bill’s co-sponsor Rep. John Stefanski said: “I’m more optimistic now. We gave the gaming control board the ability to give provisional licenses, so even if they don’t have a physical sportsbook built, they can go live with a mobile application.”
Wade Duty, Executive Director at the Louisiana Casino Association, added: “It should come together fairly quickly. Slowdowns in the process probably would come from the third piece, that is, the companies that would provide specific apps for cellphone wagering, such as those providing geofencing programming that ensures the bets are being placed from one of the 55 parishes whose voters agreed to allow sports betting.”
The bill allows for betting on sporting events on smartphones, in casinos, video poker outlets (often called truck stop casinos) or at kiosks in bars and restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages. However these outlets will get the chance to apply if the quota of 20 is not used up by the casinos.
