Legal sports betting commences today in Louisiana, as Paragon Casino Resort announced that under a partnership with sportsbook operator Betfred Sports, it will begin taking wagers on Wednesday, October 6 at 3 p.m. CT.
The Paragon Casino Resort, owned by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, is opening what it calls a “Las Vegas-style sportsbook” at its property in Marksville.
The Draft Room, a new amenity at the casino in which the sportsbook is located, features 112 TVs, theater-style seating, a video wall, betting counters and kiosks, a restaurant and bar, and three VIP areas.
“As a native Louisianan and Chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, I am thrilled to help usher in sports betting to our state,” Chairman Marshall Pierite said in the press release announcing the deal.
Betfred’s U.S. Expansion
Betfred is a long-established bookmaker in the United Kingdom, and like a lot of European betting companies has expanded to the U.S. since the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down PASPA in 2018 opened the door for states to pass their own sports betting laws.
In addition to Louisiana, Betfred USA Sports, a subsidiary of the Betfred Group, has licenses to operate sportsbooks in Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, and expects to gain approval to take bets in Nevada, Washington, Virginia, and Arizona. The company is spending sports marketing dollars in Colorado as a sponsor of the NFL’s Denver Broncos and MLB’S Colorado Rockies.
“Louisiana is an exciting opportunity for Betfred Sports to continue its expansion in the U.S. after successful launches in Iowa, Colorado and Pennsylvania,” Mark Stebbings, Betfred Group COO, said in the release. “We look forward to utilizing our 50 years of bookmaking experience with our fantastic partner, Paragon Casino Resort, to bring the best sports betting experience to bettors in the state.”
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