Louisiana is a state with a long history of gambling culture. The very first casino was opened and run by the US government in 1753, and it has since expanded into a statewide industry that has 134 variations of casinos across the state.
Louisiana Sports Betting
However, there has also been a lot of back and forth with the law in Louisiana regarding gambling. New Orleans was deemed exempt from federal law banning gambling in 1812, leading to the thriving casino culture New Orleans is known for. In addition, betting on horse racing became legal across the country in 1920, and in 1991 Louisiana enjoyed the approval of 15 riverboat casino applications, giving yet another boost to Louisiana’s gambling market.
But legal Louisiana sports betting was never on the table. It wasn’t legal in many states across the US, and it wasn’t until this year that Louisiana locals got to enjoy the idea of Louisiana sports betting for themselves.
It was a great relief, considering how many avid sports and gambling fans make up Louisiana. This state has a culture of gambling throughout its history and a love of professional, semi-professional, and college sports practically in its blood. To not combine the two is an odd decision.
Read on to find out how the two finally came to be and where you can indulge all your Louisiana sports betting needs.
Best Louisiana Sportsbook
Listed below are the best online sports betting websites. All the sites are legal sports betting sites offering sports wagering to Louisiana bettors.
Draftkings Louisiana
There’s a good reason why DraftKings is the undisputed leader in the online sports betting industry. It has some of the most competitive odds and has one of the best betting app experiences.
Golden Nugget Lake Charles and DraftKings have announced a partnership that will open a retail Louisiana sportsbook location. Additionally, casino Queen purchased the Belle of Baton Rouge and Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge. It is anticipated that these locations will feature branding for DraftKings Sportsbook.
Caesars Sportsbook Louisiana
Caesars Sportsbook Louisiana, backed by Caesars Entertainment, provides users with an excellent loyalty program that includes enticing incentives. In addition, the application is, without a doubt, outstanding among its peers.
Caesars Louisiana is responsible for running the casinos that are owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties. This company has a connection with a physical location that Caesars own. Harrah’s New Orleans and Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City began accepting bets through the Caesars Sportsbook platform. Both casinos are located in Louisiana.
BetMGM Louisiana
Several states in the United States, including Louisiana, give users access to mobile sports betting via the world class BetMGM app. It is easily one of the best apps that can be downloaded in the state of Louisiana. Users of the BetMGM betting app will enjoy the streamlined design of the app as well as the game notifications.
BetRivers Louisiana
Bettors who place their wagers on sporting events in the states of New York and Connecticut can attest to the dependability of BetRivers, which has a sizable following in both of those states. They were also one of the first sportsbooks to enter the Louisiana sports betting scene when it opened its doors.
BetRivers Louisiana and PlaySugarHouse are both owned by Rush Street Interactive. The company has partnered with the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, which is the proprietor of the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder, Louisiana, to offer social betting on sports.
FanDuel Sportsbook
Fans of the FanDuel Louisiana betting app are aware of the excitement surrounding this user-friendly and well-known mobile sports betting application. FanDuel has formed a partnership with Boyd Gaming and has launched operations in many states, including Illinois.
Barstool Sportsbook Louisiana
Because of its connections to Penn National Gaming, Barstool Sportsbook enjoyed unfettered access to Louisiana’s thriving sports betting market. Penn National owns and operates five casinos in the state of Louisiana, in addition to holding a stake in Barstool that amounts to 36 percent of the company.
The Boomtown Casino in New Orleans and Bossier City, the L’Auberge Casinos in Baton Rouge and Lake Charles, and the Margaritaville Resort Casino can all be found on this list.
Legal Online Louisiana Sports Betting
Louisiana locals have been very freshly introduced to the concept of legal Louisiana sports betting. Like the rest of the country, Louisiana has been readdressing the concept over the past few years. Before the legalization, Louisiana sports betting was limited, across the country, barring Nevada of course, to horse racing.
This means that there are a few racinos dotted across states and many casinos across the country, but unless you wanted to bet on a horse, you were not about to partake in any Louisiana sports betting.
There was a legal grey area there when it came to fantasy sports betting, which we go into in more detail further down. Because the concept was relatively new and took off suddenly, authorities never bothered to legalize it officially.
Some states opted to keep it under the umbrella of sports betting and therefore made it illegal, but it was often argued that it was a game of skill, not chance, and therefore shouldn’t be considered sports betting or illegal.
This trend of legalizing sports betting has only taken off in the past few years. The reassessment of the legalization of sports betting has been on the cards since 2018, with officials saying that they are looking to protect customers from victimization by unlicensed bookmakers. However, the push to get it going might be attributed to the Covid lockdowns.
During the shutdown of every public space, including the Atlantic City casinos, the concept of online gambling kept New Jersey afloat, bringing in more tax dollars to the state of New Jersey than was even expected from the land-based casinos alone. States across the US may be looking at the success of online gambling in New Jersey and wondering how they can implement it back home. Now that land-based casinos have opened up again, sports betting can be another option that brands and customers can take online, eliminating the need to physically visit a casino across the state and therefore bringing in more money.
Now that Louisiana sports betting is legalized, there are already many sports betting sites on the market, and plenty more are predicted to emerge as the industry expands. Current Louisiana sports betting brands include DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, BetRivers, Barstool, WynnBet, and FanDuel. In time, PointsBet, FOX Bet, and Golden Nugget are expected to add their sportsbooks to the list.
How To Pick A Louisiana Sports Betting Site
Picking out a Louisiana sports betting site is simple enough if you ensure that you are doing so safely and legally. For the people of Louisiana, this means ensuring that your chosen Louisiana online sports betting site is licensed and regulated by the Louisiana Gaming Control. Now that Louisiana sports betting sites are legal, they should all have the seal of approval from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, or they are not safe or permitted to use.
However, since January 28 of this year, it has been perfectly legal to register for the Louisiana sports betting site of your choosing. The registration process is pretty straightforward across the board. Once you have chosen your site, click the big button in the top corner that might say “Sign up,” “Join Now,” or “Register,” etc., to start the process. You will be asked for some basic details to begin with, including your full name, date of birth, and address. You might need to back these details up with photos of documents uploaded to the site.
This is to ensure that you are legally allowed to use the online sportsbook based on your location and age. From there, you will be asked to provide an email address, password, and perhaps a username, allowing you to create your site account.
Lastly, you will be asked for your bank details or payment details so that you can make a deposit and start playing. You will have a range of options, but the most common include debit or credit cards, e-wallet options like PayPal and Paysafecard, and some even allow you to use cryptocurrency, most commonly Bitcoin.
History / Timeline of Sports Betting in Louisiana
Louisiana has a deep respect for sports. They hold the record for hosting the Super Bowl eleven times, and it held the record for being the birthplace of the most NFL players per capita for the eight years, a streak that ended in 2016. In addition, its college level team, the Louisiana State University Tigers, has won the Sugar Bowl six times and four national championships.
It is also proud of its 12 collegiate NCAA Division I programs, given its sparse population and the fact that the PGA Tour, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, has been held since 1938.
So, Louisiana has a long and storied history with sports, but unfortunately, not sports betting. However, these loyal fans have been newly awarded the opportunity to partake in Louisiana sports betting after a long battle that saw them only cheering their teams on and hoping.
But, on January 28, 2022, sports fans made their first bets in the state. Retail Louisiana sports betting had launched on October 31, 2021, with the Louisiana Lottery in place as an authority and regulator.
There was an initial attempt to legalize Louisiana sports betting in 2019, led by Senator Danny Martin. Still, the S153 bill was loaded with poison pill amendments, such as video poker parlors, and the project lost momentum.
In 2020, the mantel of Louisiana sports betting hero went to Senator Cameron Henry, who gave a half-attempt by putting the issue on the ballot and giving the decision to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. But, surprising the senator, the Louisiana sports betting fans came out and voted to approve Louisiana sports betting in November of 2020.
After a bit of back and forth over regulation framework between Senate President Patrick Page Cortez and Rep. John Stefanski, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board passed emergency sports betting rules. Effective from August 23, the licensing process could begin, and by October, the first sportsbook opened at the tribal-owned Paragon Casino. From there, commercial casinos opened sportsbooks all over the Louisiana state, and mobile Louisiana sports betting went live on January 28, 2022.
Louisiana Sports Teams
Regarding professional sports teams, Louisiana’s selection is confined to New Orleans. However, there are four teams there, which means there are a lot of eager fans to play in The Big Easy. In addition, new Orleans, is of course, the home of the Super Dome, which is big and grandiose enough to attract sports and sports betting fans from all over.
In the National Football League, the Louisiana team is the New Orleans Saints, which won the Super Bowl in 2009, and there are also the United States Football League competitors in the New Orleans Breakers. Basketball fans follow the New Orleans Pelicans and the Major League Rugby team, the New Orleans Gold, which both have a respectable amount of accolades to their names.
However, Louisiana is also home to several semi-professional sports teams that bring their state a lot of buzz, including women’s football teams, baseball teams, basketball teams, rugby teams, soccer teams, hockey teams, and even a few roller derby teams. Of course, that’s all without mentioning the college teams, which mostly hail from Louisiana State University and others.
But Louisiana gains a lot from its location. On one side, they have Mississippi; above them, Arkansas, and on the other, Texas.
No one needs to say out loud that Texas has a lot of sports teams. Texas has 11 major league sports teams, to be exact. Soccer fans follow Austin FC or FC Dallas, and American football fans follow the Dallas Cowboys or Houston Texans. In addition, there is the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Wings for basketball, the Dallas Stars ice hockey team, the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers for baseball, and the Houston Dash women’s soccer team. The semi-professional and college teams are extensive, as well as those of Arkansas and Mississippi, two more neighbors of Louisiana, with several professional sports teams across soccer, football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and roller derby.
With so much overlap in the most popular sports, plus the small stature of Louisiana being surrounded by much larger states, you can imagine a good deal of
Retail Sports Betting in Louisiana
Louisiana has a vast range of casinos for a comparatively small state next to its neighbors. There are 134 casinos in Louisiana, made up of retail casinos, tribal casinos, cruise ships and riverboats, and horse racing tracks.
To give you a taste of what to expect, we’ll break down some of the most popular casinos in Louisiana, including the Margaritaville in Bossier City, Bell of Baton Rouge Casino Hotel, and the Golden Nugget Lake Charles.
Margaritaville is home to over 1,200 slot machines and 50 table games, including poker tables. You can also indulge in some Louisiana sports betting with the Barstool Sportsbook, which you can access via an app. Margaritaville also has a spa and salon, a swimming pool, and five dining experiences, not including the four bars available, which host live music, stand-up comedians, and car raffles.
The Belle of Baton Rouge Casino Hotel offers more than 750 slot machines and 14 table games, including poker. It also has hotel pools, conference facilities, and two dining experiences. Unfortunately, it doesn’t accommodate Louisiana sports betting yet; however, it does have a placeholder on the website assuring us that Louisiana sports betting will soon be an option at The Belle of Baton Rouge.
The Golden Nugget Lake Charles offers the most extravagant of experiences, with 1,600 slots to play, 72 table games, not including the 6 poker tables available, and lots of amenities to make the trip worth it. The spa offers an event center and private beach on top of the hotel and spa experience, plus eight dining experiences, five bars, and nightlife options, including the ice bar. For entertainment, there are often live bands and stand-up comedians at the venue, as well as the Golden Nugget Country Club and the Grand Ballroom and Event Center. The Golden Nugget Lake Charles comes under the Caesars branding, so it uses the Caesars sportsbook.
However, Louisiana as a state is known for its famous Mississippi River and the others that run through it. If you want an authentic experience in Louisiana that incorporates gambling, you must step into a riverboat casino. The old-fashioned paddleboats you’re imagining are still there. However, they are docked, and as casinos, they function just like a land-based casino. There are seven dotted along the riverbanks of Louisiana. Some popular riverboat casinos include Igor’s Lounge and Gameroom, Boomtown Casino Hotel Bossier City, and Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino.
Igor’s Lounge and Gameroom is unique in that it incorporates casino gambling into more of a sports bar aesthetic. It has several slot machines but also pool tables and live music. You can bet that when land-based sports betting becomes more common in casinos, Igor’s Lounge and Gameroom will be one of the first places to take you up on it.
The Boomtown Casino Hotel Bossier City offers over 1,100 slot machines, with 16 table games and 2 poker tables. Impressive to pack onto a boat. There is a fitness center, pool, and conference facilities to enjoy. It loads up the boat with three dining experiences and the Sundance Cantina bar for some nightlife, which is a regular host to live entertainment, including music and comedy. Plus, it does, in fact have a sportsbook attached. You can bet on the latest game using the Barstool sportsbook via the app.
Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino offer over 950 slot machines, eight table games, and 11 poker tables to bet on. There is also a spa, complete with a pool and fitness center, and four restaurants to choose from. Sam’s Town Hotel uses the FanDuel sportsbook for all your Louisiana sports betting needs.
With over 130 casinos at your disposal in Louisiana, there is little need to go venturing into the neighbors of Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas, but if you’re interested, you’re going to find 30 casinos in Mississippi, four in Texas, and two in Arkansas. Louisiana, and New Orleans in particular, has established itself as a fun city getaway destination. You’re probably more likely to find people coming in from these neighboring states to fulfill all their Louisiana sports betting needs.
Tribal Casinos
Louisiana is home to a lot of native American tribes, which means there are a few tribal casinos available for you to visit for all your Louisiana sports betting needs. Four of those 134 Louisiana casinos are tribal-owned, made up of the Coushatta Casino and Resort, run by the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, the Cypress Bayou Casino and Hotel, run by the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, the Jena Choctaw Pines Casino, run by the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Paragon Casino Resort.
The Coushatta Casino and Resort has over 2,800 slot machines, 65 table games, and 20 poker games for you to enjoy, as well as access to The Rez sportsbook for some fun Louisiana sports betting. Being a resort with a casino built-in, the Coushatta also is home to a massive waterpark, golf course, and fitness center. You can eat at any of the eight restaurants, drink at the two available bars, or enjoy the Cyber Quest, Mikko Live events, and Pavillion events, including music and stand-up comedy.
The Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel offers over 1,100 slot machines, 35 table games, 4 poker tables, and bingo, however, it does not appear to support Louisiana sports betting just yet. It has four restaurants for you to enjoy and entertainment held in three venues: The Pavillion, Rox, and Bocat’s Lounge.
The Jena Choctaw Pines Casino offers over 700 slot machines, five table games, and five poker tables. In addition, it houses a JD’s Harvest Buffet to eat from and the Cutters Sports Bar to drink in. Unfortunately, there’s no mention of a sportsbook on the website, but if you have the screen and a sportsbook app nearby, you can enjoy all the Louisiana sports betting you want.
The Paragon Casino Resort has over 2,200 slot machines available, 45 table games, eight poker tables, and keno betting with an age limit of 18. It also has a sportsbook available within the Draft Room with Betfred Sports for some Louisiana sports betting. In addition, this many casinos offers a business center, a fitness center, three pools, a spa, Cyber Quest, and a golf course. Eat at any one of the seven dining experiences available, drink at the Atrium Bar or Bon Temps Daiquiris, and enjoy the live music and entertainment regularly featured at the venue.
There isn’t much choice for tribal casinos in the neighboring states, with Mississippi offering four, Texas having two, and Arkansas having none to show. However, with Louisiana offering four casinos, some of which are massive resorts, Louisiana sports betting will likely see a boost from neighboring states’ sports fans looking for somewhere to gamble in luxury.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports have always been in a particular gray area legally across the US. Since it was never officially legalized, it has simply existed, for the most part, under the umbrella term of sports betting and therefore considered illegal across the US.
However, as daily fantasy sports betting gained traction, so did the idea of legalizing sports betting overall. So today, Louisiana sports betting fans can now enjoy both legally.
With so many NFL, MLB, and NBA fans in Louisiana, it makes sense that they are all considered the most popular daily fantasy Louisiana sports betting options. But it might surprise you to add golf to that list, too.
Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of operators for Louisiana sports betting when it comes to daily fantasy sports due to the new nature of the sports betting industry in the state. Louisiana awarded its first daily fantasy sports license to FanDuel in October last year. Since then, DraftKings has been added to the roster in January of this year, but daily fantasy sports betting apps are more limited than regular Louisiana sports betting sites, so that seems to be it for now. However, we will likely see more in the future as the market expands.
Offshore Sports Betting
Offshore sports betting is never a good idea, especially when Louisiana sports betting has been legalized and there is an abundance of facilities available on and offline to accommodate all your Louisiana sports betting needs, but there are also no laws stopping you. However, if you want to use an offshore sports gambling site, you should at least be sure that the site you’re using is adequately licensed and regulated.
Make sure that the site you are using is regulated and licensed by a gambling authority operating in the US, such as the Costa Rice Gambling Authority or the Curacao eGaming Authority. This will keep you protected should something go wrong. For example, if you play with an unlicensed casino and lose your money, you won’t have the protection of the gambling authority to help you get your money back.
Louisiana Horse Racing & Off-Track Betting
Like many of the US, Louisiana is no stranger to the concept of racinos. Partnering casinos with the only form of legal sports betting for the time, horse racing, has created a lucrative industry and subculture of US gambling. Luckily, Louisiana sports betting on the horses was always legalized, so Louisiana locals have got to enjoy betting on the horses for decades.
The three biggest racinos in Louisiana, that is to say, a casino with a horse racing track attached, are made up of the Delta Downs Racetrack and Casino, the Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino, and Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots.
The Delta Downs Racetrack and Casino feature a track that is 1.06 miles long, racing thoroughbred and quarter horse racing. Its venue offers 1,600 slot machines, several table, and poker games, as well as a FanDuel sportsbook for any Louisiana sports betting indulgences. In addition, you can choose from three dining experiences, a drink at the Triple Crown lounge, and even visit the aquatic center or fitness center.
The Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino have a mile-long oval racetrack where thoroughbred flat and American quarter racing occurs. Louisiana sports betting fans can use one of the 800 available slot machines, sit at one of the table and poker games, or place their bets with the FanDuel sportsbook available at the facility. There are also two dining experiences, a pub, a conference room, and a venue for corporate parties and weddings.
Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots offers a 0.875 mile race course for horse thoroughbreds and quarter horse racing. There are also over 620 slot machines available, and you can do some Louisiana sports betting with the Twinspires sportsbook available at the venue. Clubhouse Dining and Gentilly Grill restaurants are also available for a meal while you bet.
Final Thoughts / Summary
Louisiana sports betting has always been a part of a state like the Mississippi River. So many happy sports fans will be headed to the best casinos across the state to place their bets on everything from professional basketball to the college roller derby now that it is legalized.