Louisiana Online Sports Betting

Legal online sports betting is now LIVE in Louisiana! People in Louisiana love sports and the state has long been a home for gambling, so it made sense that the two would eventually be combined by legalizing sports betting. How it happened was due in part to the state’s unique legislative structure, the influence of gambling interests, and the desire to offer a new source of entertainment to residents and visitors alike while raising revenue for state government programs. And then on January 28th, 2022, the first online sportsbooks began opening their virtual doors and accepting wagers!

Read on for more information on how sports betting was legalized in Louisiana, which retail and mobile sportsbooks are currently open for business the state, which sportsbook bonuses and banking options bettors use to fund their accounts, and a very special FAQ that includes answers to your most pressing questions.

Best Louisiana sports betting offers

1

BetMGM Sportsbook

$1K First Bet Offer

4

• Promo Code: USBETS
• Up to $1K Back If You Lose
• 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

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T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.

2

FanDuel Sportsbook

$1K No Sweat First Bet

4.3

• No Promo Code Needed
• Tons of Props on 16+ Sports
• 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

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T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.

3

Caesars Sportsbook

First $1250 on Caesars

4.3

• Promo Code: BETSFULL
• Same Game Parlay Leader
• 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

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T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.

4

WynnBET Sportsbook

Bet $20, Get $100

4

• Promo Code: XUSB
• High-quality mobile app
• Competitive odds

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T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.

5

PointsBet Sportsbook

$500 in Free Bets

4.4

• Unique High-Upside Format
• Exciting Welcome Bonus
• Creative Promos Every Night

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T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.

Professional Louisiana Sports Team

Odds from FanDuel and they are subject to change.

Road to legal sports betting in Louisiana

After PASPA was overturned by the Supreme Court in ’18, each state became free to legalize and regulate sports betting however they wanted. The Supreme Court decision did not legalize sports betting itself; rather, it overturned the federal law that prohibited states from legalizing the activity. Congress still has the authority to regulate sports betting at the federal level but has so far chosen to leave the issue to the states.

This was great news for fans of legal sports betting, but it also left us with a patchwork of different state laws. Several states, including Louisiana, decided to leave the decision to the voters, who voted to approve an initiative in 2020 that led to legalized sports betting in the state. In an unusual Louisiana twist, the nine parishes (known as counties in every other state, because Louisiana…) that did not approve sports betting will not have it in their parishes.

These parishes will be geofenced, so residents in those areas wishing to bet on sports will have to drive to a neighboring parish that allows the activity. This is unusual because most states: 1. Have counties instead of parishes; and 2. Apply the results of a statewide initiative to the entire state. Leave it to Louisiana to do things differently.

After the initiative passed, the state legislature got to work creating a legislative framework for sports betting. Through some tough battles and after lots of compromises, three bills that set up the tax and regulatory structure were passed and signed into law in the spring of 2021. After that, the regulatory process spun into action. It usually takes a few months to get everything lined up, and Louisiana was no different.

Well, actually, it was a little different because a hurricane barreled through the state, leaving State Police investigators unable to conduct the routine background checks necessary to fully vet casinos and vendors. After all, they had to deal with the after-effects of a dang hurricane. It is therefore understandable that there was a slight delay.

With Hurricane Ida gone, State Police investigators were back at work investigating vendors before approving their licenses. Retail sportsbooks are being built in casinos across the state in anticipation of opening up. A tribal-owned casino opened a sportsbook in October 2021, beating the other operators to market because tribal casinos are not regulated by the state of Louisiana. The Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville partnered with Betfred to open a retail sportsbook at the casino.

In early November 2021, a few retail casinos, including Caesars and Penn National, opened up in-person sportsbooks at their facilities. Additionally, FanDuel opened a retail sportsbook at two casinos owned by Boyd Gaming and DraftKings opened a retail sportsbook at the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles.

As of January 28, online betting is live in the state of Louisiana. 

There are 20 licensed casinos in the state, all of which can apply for a sports betting license that includes two online “skins.” There are a number of sportsbooks that are live right now but this means that up to 40 sportsbooks could potentially be live in the state. At this moment, the number is well below that. The first sportsbooks have already begun launching, with most of them planning to offer at least retail betting at casino sportsbooks before the end of the year. Let’s go over some of the most prominent sportsbooks that have launched or we expect to launch in Louisiana.

Which online sportsbooks are LIVE in Louisiana

As mentioned, there are 20 commercial, non-tribal casinos in Louisiana that fall under state jurisdiction. Fifteen of them are riverboat casinos, which means the casino itself is actually located on a boat in the river. Generally, there are large hotels next to the riverboat, so it is more of a facility with a riverboat, but still, the gambling is required to be on the water.

Four racinos also operate in Louisiana, which are horse racing facilities that include large casino gaming areas. Lastly, there is one big ol’ Harrah’s casino right on Canal Street in downtown New Orleans. All of these casinos are owned by large gaming companies that either own or have existing partnerships with online sportsbooks. The following sportsbooks were the first ones to go live online in the state on January 28, 2022.

Which retail sportsbooks are LIVE in Louisiana

Early sportsbooks in Louisiana:

• Caesars Sportsbook
• Bally Bet
• Barstool Sportsbook
• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• TwinSpires
• Golden Nugget
• BetMGM
• WynnBET

More to come later on, including (possibly):

• BetRivers
• FOX Bet
• PointsBet
• Unibet

Retail sports betting kiosks in Louisiana

In another unusual Louisiana twist, under the sports betting law the Louisiana Lottery has jurisdiction over retail sports betting kiosks and will provide them to licensed establishments throughout the state. This could include hundreds of bars and restaurants, most of which already have a Lottery kiosk. Kiosks are a great way for casual sports bettors to put a few bucks on the game they are already watching.

Many states have kiosks available at sportsbooks, and Montana even has a state-run kiosk program for bars in the state. Of course, unlike in Montana, the kiosks in Louisiana will be available in addition to statewide mobile and retail betting, so it’s just another option, but it might prove to be a popular choice for those who don’t want to set up an online sportsbook account or don’t live near a casino.

Louisiana sports betting promotions

The most popular promotions offered by online sportsbooks include:

• Risk-free bets
• Deposit match/bonus
• Free bets
• Odds boosts
• Giveaways
• Parlay insurance

Each of these promotions has value to the bettor, but some are definitely better than others. Most, if not all, of these promotions, will be available to bettors in Louisiana. Taken one at a time, we can identify the advantages and disadvantages of each promotion.

Risk-free bets

Risk-free wagers are just that, a bet without risk. If a sportsbook offers your first bet risk-free up to $1000, that means after making your first deposit, your first bet up to $1000 will be insured against loss. If you bet $1000 and your bet wins, you are off to a great start and have a lot more money in your account. But if your $1000 first bet loses, instead of being out the money, you get a $1000 credit in your account. Think of it as a first bet insurance policy. You’re back where you started. Sportsbooks have different rules for the risk-free bet credits, so check with your sportsbook before making your first wager, but this promotion is a good way to try out a new sportsbook knowing that you won’t be out any money after your first bet.

Deposit match bonuses

These offers are a credit added to your account after you make your first deposit. This is a very good promotion because the money is yours after you meet a play-through requirement, which is an amount that you need to wager before “clearing” the bonus. So if a sportsbook offers a $1000 deposit match with a 1x playthrough requirement, you need to wager $1000 on any type of bet before you can withdraw the bonus amount. After that, the money is yours.

Free bets

A free bet is a free bet. Money is added to your account when you sign up, usually $10 or so, and it’s free. You can use it on whatever bet you want to make depending on the terms and conditions. Sometimes you don’t even have to deposit to get a free bet. It’s usually not a lot of money, but it’s not nothin’ either. If you see a free bet promo, jump on it.

Odds boosts

Boosts can be useful if you like the actual wager itself. Odds boosts are becoming very popular and are now offered by almost every sportsbook. In Louisiana, an odds boost might include the Saints and a player prop, so it would be something like Saints to win outright plus Michael Thomas catching 1 or more TDs. This parlay would be about +250 normally, so an odds boost might take it up to +300 or +350. Odds boosts are generally just marketing to get people interested in the day’s events, but they offer real value if you like the underlying wagering opportunity.

Sportsbook giveaways

Giveaways are a way to create brand loyalty and give customers some swag to rep, as the Millennials might say. People love free stuff, so giving out some hats or shirts that aren’t available to buy is a great way to get people to bet with a particular sportsbook. Other giveaways include gift cards, such as Caesars Sportsbook’s memorable NFL promotion that gave anyone who bet $100 or more on NFL games a $150 gift card to the NFL team shop so they could buy a jersey. What a deal! Giveaways are expensive for the sportsbook, but they are becoming more popular as the competition for new customers stiffens.

Betting insurance

Insurance is a money-back guarantee if your wager or parlay doesn’t hit. Parlays are all the rage these days, and it’s easy to see why. Turning a few bucks into thousands of bucks has been the dream of bettors since the beginning of betting. Choose some bets, and if they all hit, you make a lot of money. The problem is that most of the time at least one of the legs doesn’t hit. Sad! But wait… with parlay insurance, if all but one or two legs of your parlay hits, you don’t lose everything. The sportsbook will give you a few bucks for your pain, usually around $25. It’s not as much as if your parlay hit, but it does soften the blow, particularly because most people only wager a small amount on parlays.

Banking options

Each sportsbook has its own banking options. Some are more limited while others are expansive, offering the basics but also including innovative choices for customers to make their deposits and withdrawals. Banking options offered by sportsbooks in Louisiana will include, but may not be limited to, the following:

• ACH eCheck
• PayPal
• Skrill
• Play+ Branded Prepaid Cards
• Gift Cards
• Visa/Mastercard/Discover credit cards
• Online banking
• Wire transfer
• PayNearMe
• Cash at the casino cage
• Check sent by mail

Bet types

There are more individual wagers available than ever before. Player props and alternate lines have exploded in popularity and availability, leading to hundreds of different wagers available for even a low-profile Tuesday night Pelicans-Thunder NBA game. The types of bets haven’t changed much, but the number and creativity of how those bet types are utilized have grown a great deal since sports betting has been legalized in the states. Here are the most common bet types, all of which will be available to bettors in Louisiana:

• Moneyline
• Parlay
• Teaser
• Prop bets
• Futures
• Over/under
• Live/in-game bets
• Spread

Sports offered in Louisiana

The most popular sport in Louisiana is, of course, football. Local television ratings for the Saints are the highest of any tv market in the country. People in Louisiana LOVE the Saints. That isn’t saying anything new, but it is important to note because, most likely, the most heavily bet sport in Louisiana will be football. But football will be far from the only sport available to wager on in Louisiana. In fact, wagering on pretty much every sport played anywhere in the world will be available in the state.

Sportsbooks have really leaned into providing a wide variety of sports to wager on, and, in some states like Colorado, it would be hard to name a sport or sports league that is not available on at least one of the online sportsbooks live in the state. Each state ultimately decides which sports are authorized to be offered by sportsbooks in that state, so we expect Louisiana to be somewhere in the middle, with most major sports available but maybe not as many of the lesser-known ones. One thing we do know is that NFL and NCAA football will be front and center on every online sportsbook app in the state. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the sports available in most states, courtesy of our friends at DraftKings:

• Australian Rules Football
• Baseball
• Basketball (NBA, NCAA, and European leagues)
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Darts
• Football (NCAA and NFL)
• Handball
• Hockey
• MMA
• Motorsports
• Rugby
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Volleyball