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In-Person Betting Could Start in Louisiana Sports Betting

In-Person Betting Could Start in Louisiana by Mid-September

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 28 August 2021

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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Sports betting fans in Louisiana could soon have something to cheer about, as in-person betting could start as early as mid-September. It is hoped that several facilities will be able to start sports betting by this date, which has been made possible by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board approving emergency sports betting rules last week.

These emergency rules mean that the 15 riverboat casinos in the state, along with the land-based casino and four racetracks, can apply for temporary sports betting licenses. By Monday 23rd August, eight venues had submitted applications for a temporary license. Speaking about the process, Ronnie Johns, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, stated that the board’s intention was to let all venues eligible to apply for a temporary license get one.

The temporary licenses will be valid for 180 days. They will be replaced by any permanent laws that are eventually passed regarding sports betting. It is expected that the process of establishing permanent rules for sports betting in Louisiana will begin sometime in September.

Start Date Depends on Individual Venues

While they can hand out temporary licenses, there is nothing the Louisiana Gaming Control Board can do about how long venues take to roll-out sports betting. Speaking about this, Johns said:

It will be up to the properties to get their programs up and running, and how quickly they do so.

Before any venue is allowed to launch sports betting at a temporary facility, it will be required to undergo an inspection from the Louisiana State Police, which it will need to pass. What’s more, all Louisiana state statutes must be complied with. However, neither of these requirements should pose much of a barrier for venues looking to launch sports betting.

No Start Date for Louisiana Online Betting

While the march towards legal in-person sports betting in Louisiana continues, there is no news as yet about when online sports betting could be launched in the state. Online sports betting has been approved in the state, but there are no details yet about how online betting will work. Ronnie Johns has stated that online betting will form the second part of the rollout of betting in the state.

While there’s not much information available regarding online betting in Louisiana, the tax rate has already been agreed upon. Online operators will be forced to pay a tax of 18% on online bets – there will be a 10% applied to bets taken in land-based facilities. This difference is down to the fact that lawmakers hope online betting will drive the betting industry in the state.

Once online betting has been rolled out, the third part of the plan will be to allow smaller venues, such as bars and restaurants, to apply for sports betting licenses via the Louisiana Lottery Corporation.

Rep. John Stefanski has already predicted that once all forms of sports betting are operational, taxation on the industry could raise $10 million to $20 million for the state.