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As one of the more pro-gambling states in the country, citizens are excited about any possibility in the development of legal Louisiana sports betting. Given some political advancements, legislators have allowed the residents to vote on whether they will bring the industry home and the majority seem to be on board. There are not many more things as exciting as watching a team like the New Orleans Saints win a game at home as you look at your betting ticket to see you also won money from a confident bet you placed earlier.

Options for legal sports wagering are currently available for residents to do this through the use of offshore online sportsbooks; however, more opportunities may be arising sooner than later as the state pushes for a legalized in-state industry. Our goal is to provide you with the laws regarding all forms of gambling within the state of Louisiana with the main focus being sports betting. We will discuss any location and possibilities for engaging in the hobby as well as what to look for and more importantly what to look out for. Once you become aware of the laws and possibilities, you can wager without any mental reservation and know exactly what you are doing is fully within the laws.

New Orleans is a 24 hour city with an open container law. The drinking age is 21. The police are tolerant of drinking in public in the French Quarter as long as you do not have an open can or glass container.

Legal Louisiana Super Bowl Betting

The State of Louisiana has spent the last 2-3 years attempting to legalize sports betting. While they have failed to reach approved regulations, those looking to legally bet on the Super Bowl in Louisiana still have plenty of options. This is all possible by the use of overseas sportsbooks, which are legal to use for all USA residents. As long as the book is licensed by their home country, you will not run into any problems. Take part in their adjusted lines, prop bets on the Super Bowl or any other game line you find wagerable. Just be sure to have your account set up in time for Super Bowl LIV’s kickoff at 6:30 p.m. EST on February 2, 2020.

Is Land-Based Sports Betting Legal In Louisiana?

Land-based sports betting cannot actually be located within the state as they have yet to set regulations regarding the industry. After a successful appeal of a former federal law known as PASPA, the Supreme Court ruled that states were granted the right to create their own standards for sports betting; however, Louisiana is still in the process of doing so. Any land-based sportsbook you may find in Louisiana will be unlicensed and it is advised not to wager in any establishment that openly takes bets. Using an unlicensed bookmaker can get both you and the business in trouble; moreover, if the operator does something unethical, there are no legal ramifications you can take to prevent or challenge it.

Is It Illegal To Bet On Sports Online In Louisiana?

There is no mention of online gambling within the Louisiana law code for a person attempting to make a wager. The only restriction for online gaming is for operating an unlicensed business in the state. However, as somebody who wants to lay their money down and play the odds at legal sports betting sites, you will have no worries when looking to gamble online as long as you use an offshore sportsbook. Be sure to locate an operator that is licensed in their home country as unlicensed bookmakers can lead you down a spiral of trouble. The licensing guarantees that your account will be secure on a network as well as any funds that you enter into their online casino.

Is Online Gambling & Poker Legal in the State Of Louisiana?

Louisiana has a fascinating history which is indelibly intertwined with gambling right from the days of the first French and then Spanish settlers. Crack-downs on gambling have been periodically appearing for more than 200 years, and only ever saw gambling move underground. Nowadays, there are plenty of regulated options for residents, including casino, poker, horse racing and video-poker games. At the same time, this State explicitly criminalize online gambling – and have shown they are willing to legally pursue companies who break their laws. This page explains the Louisiana gambling laws in detail.

First up below, you will see a brief history of gambling in the Bayou State. After that the individual games are covered, outlining the current legal situation of each. Next things get more detailed, with the important excerpts from the laws and a timeline of the key legal changes. After that you will find a summary and look at possible scenarios for the future.

Louisiana Gambling Laws – A Brief History

Few States have as rich a history as Louisiana, and few can lay claim to casinos (well, entertainment establishments that included gambling) being built on their territory before the first Churches. The early history is one of crackdowns, and then regulation followed by crackdown again. With so much gambling going on, the crackdowns only ever pushed this underground – Louisianans have always loved gambling, whether legal or not!

One of the interesting chapters in the gambling history of Louisiana is the Lotteries. Which spread throughout the Southern States from the 1860’s onward. These had their own corruption, legal battles and colorful characters. Many States ended up passing laws to ban them to protect their citizens from shady deals before they were finally outlawed in Louisiana itself at the end of the 1800’s. It would be almost 100 years before a better regulated official State lottery was launched.

For many years the only legal form of gambling was pari-mutuel (pooled) betting on horse races at fairs. This became legal in the 1920’s and has today grown into a huge industry, with popular ‘Racinos’ also offering slots games.

There is a huge choice of casinos in this State, and despite the long history of gambling – these are relatively recent. In 1991, permission for 15 riverboat casinos was given. This was quickly followed by land-based casinos and a few years later by Tribal casinos. There are some lavish properties and some big poker rooms among them. Social poker is tolerated, though not specifically legal under the legal code. The key factor here has been that no individual is making a profit from hosting the game or taking a rake from the pots.

Louisiana does not fit the model of a State willing to regulate online gambling – they have an amendment to their books specifically banning betting on the Internet. However they are looking into this area, and a commission set up to investigate is due to report in 2014.

What Forms of Gambling Are Currently Legal?

Casino Games: Yes, there are 4 major land based casinos, tribal casinos and riverboat casinos. There are also plans for more. Louisiana has a rich history of casino gaming and offers a fantastic choice to residents. Video poker machines in bars are also legal.

Online Casinos: No, This is one of the few States to explicitly criminalize online gambling – with severe penalties including imprisonment for operators of this game and stiff fines for players.

Live Poker: Yes, there are many poker rooms inside the licensed casinos. Home games are tolerated in Louisiana. While there is no explicit ‘social gambling’ carve-out within the Statutes like in other States – the rule seems to be that low stakes games where nobody takes a profit from running or hosting the games are fine.

Online Poker: No, there is an indication that this area is being examined from 2013, though poker is covered by the same anti online gambling law as casino games.

Sports Betting: Pari-mutuel betting is allowed at racetracks, you can also bet on billiards games – which are considered a game of skill.

Lottery Betting: Yes, like in many States, there is a State lottery and also multi-state games.

Bingo Games: Yes, charity gambling is legal and includes bingo, raffles and keno games.

Louisiana Gambling Laws – Timeline and Key Statutes

In addition to their broad ‘game of chance’ definition of gambling, Louisiana is unusual in that poker is specifically singled out as a gambling game (draw poker to be specific) and gambling over the internet is specifically banned. While there are reasonably harsh penalties for the organizers of gambling games – players are rarely targeted under Louisiana Statutes. There are a lot of opportunities to gamble in this State – what the code is saying is that if anyone steps outside of these licensed regulations, they can expect severe punishments. Also unlike other States, Louisiana has shown that they are more than willing to go after organizations they consider to be violating their codes – including big international companies.

Here is the main definition of what constitutes gambling from the current Statutes:

Legal Gambling Age In New Orleans

This part covers gambling on computers and the Internet:

Southern Legal New Orleans

Here are some key dates from the long and fascinating history of gambling LA.

1753: First government run casino opened by Governor Louis Billouart de Kerrlerec. This was an acknowledgement that outlawing gambling had failed over previous decades.

1812: New Orleans, Louisiana Exempted from Federal ban on gambling

1866: Louisiana State Lottery created. This would create a huge regional (multi-State) lottery boom which saw corruption and many legal battles. The heyday of the Lottery ran until 1895, when Governor Murphy Foster was able to close it down. It would be almost 100 years before the lottery returned.

1920’s: The only legal form of gambling was pari-mutuel betting on Horse racing at fairgrounds.

1991: This was a breakthrough year in the history of Louisiana gambling laws. A new State lottery became legal. This year also saw the approval of 15 riverboat casinos, and video poker machines. After some debate the approval for the first land-based casino was approved.

1993: Three Native American tribes negotiated compacts with the State to open casinos on their lands.

1997: Slot machines permitted at racetracks. This year also saw laws covering ‘gambling by computer’ added to the Statutes.

2013: Committee to look into the possibility of internet gambling established, there is no report available as of Spring 2014.

Louisiana Gambling Laws – Summary and Look to the Future

Apart from their ban on internet gambling, Louisiana has been both progressive and pragmatic in their approach to licensing the different games. Aware that prohibition just pushed games underground, their licensing efforts have created a thriving and well controlled industry which generates significant revenue for the State each year.

The big question is – will this practical approach also extend to the regulation of online gambling, and specifically poker games? There is wording specifically against using the Internet on the books. However, I would not personally bet against the practical approach winning through – and Louisiana regulating online poker at some point over the next few years.

Legal Gambling Age Louisiana

Useful Resources:

Nice History Site

• http://www.knowla.org/entry/769/

Louisiana Gaming Control – laws

Gaming Enforcement Division

Gambling Law US Summary

Gambling Law Masters Summary

New Orleans Age Management

• http://www.gaminglawmasters.com/summary/Louisiana/12.%20Update%202009/LOUISIANA.pdf