Louisiana residents have been able to make sports bets in person since early in October, and it should not be too much longer before they can place those wagers from the comforts of their own homes.
Ronnie Johns, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, tells Louisiana Sharp that he expects mobile sports betting to launch in Louisiana in the first week of January.
When that happens, Louisianans will be able to make mobile wagers in 55 of the state’s 64 parishes. Nine parishes (Caldwell, Catahoula, Franklin, Jackson, LaSalle, Sabine, Union, West Carrol, Winn) voted against the sports betting measure in 2020.
Four sportsbooks have already announced pre-launch bonus offers in Louisiana so the action is expected to be fast and furious as soon as the Louisiana Gaming Control Board announces the date of the official launch.
Louisiana Online Sports Betting Launch Updates
November 16
Ronnie Johns, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, tells Louisiana Sharp that he expects mobile sports betting to launch in Louisiana in the first week of January.
November 15
Boomtown Casino & Hotel in Bossier City began accepting bets at 4 p.m. The Sportsbook at Boomtown is located on the first floor of the casino next to the Video Poker Bar.
November 12
Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City began accepting sports wagers. The company has officially opened The Sportsbook, which is located right inside the main entrance of the casino.
November 8
The Golden Nugget in Lake Charles announces that it plans to open a temporary retail sportsbook on Nov. 10 and that a permanent sportsbook with 300 seats will open in the summer of 2022.
November 3
DraftKings Louisiana pre-launch bonus offer: Sign up for a DraftKings account before the mobile app launches in Louisiana and receive a free $100 bet.
Betfred Louisiana pre-launch bonus offer: Register an account with Betfred and deposit at least $10 and get a free $150 bet when Betfred launches its mobile app. More information here.
November 1
Two more casinos go live with retail sports betting. They are Boomtown Casino in Harvey and L’Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge.
October 31
Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City and Harrah’s New Orleans become the second and third casinos to open retail sportsbooks. They are partnered with Caesars Sportsbook.
October 29
The LGCB issues retail sports betting licenses to four casinos to allow them to begin accepting in-person sports wagers on Oct. 31. Those casinos are Harrah’s New Orleans, L’Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge, Boomtown Casino in Harvey, and Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City.
October 28
FanDuel Louisiana pre-launch bonus offer: New users will receive a free $100 bet just for signing up at FanDuel before mobile sports betting launches in Louisiana.
October 22
Caesars Sportsbook becomes the first to offer a pre-launch bonus offer in Louisiana. It is actually two bonus offers for each new user. One bonus is a straightforward $100 free bet, and the other is unique in that it is tied to the performances of Louisiana teams. Details on the second offer will be announced by Caesars.
October 11
It is reported that 13 of the state’s 20 casinos have applied for sports betting licenses. The next step calls for the Louisiana State Police to fully vet each applicant.
October 6
Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, which partnered with Betfred, becomes the first Louisiana casino to begin accepting sports wagers. Paragon is owned by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, so it is not regulated by the Louisiana Gaming Commission.
September 30
WynnBET secures market access in Louisiana through Caesars.
September 17
LSU and Caesars Sportsbook announce a historic multi-year sponsorship agreement to make Caesars the official gaming and sportsbook partner of the Baton Rouge institution. The partnership is the first of its kind for an SEC university.
September 16
The Louisiana Gaming Control Board approved permanent sports betting rules to replace emergency rules and set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2022, for casinos to submit applications.
August 19
The LGCB approved emergency rules for the sports betting industry to allow casinos and horse racing tracks to begin applying with the Louisiana State Police for sports betting licenses.
August 11
BetRivers, a brand of Rush Street Interactive, secures market access in Louisiana. It does so after RSI makes a minority investment in gaming technology provider Boom Entertainment.
July 26
In a move deemed necessary to keep sports betting legislation moving ahead, Ronnie Johns resigns from his job as a Louisiana state Senator to accept a new role as chairperson of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. Sports betting bills had passed in the Louisiana state legislature and signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards, but the rules must be implemented by the LGCB before launch.
July 23
Louisiana lawmakers approved a deal in which Caesars Entertainment will purchase the naming rights of the Superdome in New Orleans. Sports Business Journal reported that Caesars is paying $10 million per year over 20 years.
June 22
Gov. John Bel Edwards signs the third of three sports betting bills into law, paving the way for the regulatory process to get started.
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