Louisiana Gambling
Louisiana is on the radar – we have hopes that legal online gambling is on the way soon.
North Dakota licenses Bet America which accepts legal online wagers for horse racing, dog racing and fantasy sports. This is legal for residents of this state (please read their terms and conditions to ensure this has not changed).
Louisiana Live and Online Gambling Laws
Louisiana has a history of legalized gambling. It was one of the first states in the South with casinos. Louisiana also offers a lottery and other forms of betting. It even has some regulated wagering over the Internet, while specifically outlawing others.
Louisiana Lottery
Voters approved a constitutional amendment legalizing a lottery on October 6, 1990. The margin of victory was more than two-to-one. The first scratch-off ticket was sold on September 6, 1991. The Louisiana Lottery later expanded into lotto drawings, including interstate ones like Powerball.
Horse Racing
There are four racetracks in Louisiana. They are located at Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs, Fair Grounds and Louisiana Downs. Live betting and off-track betting parlors are offered at these establishments. These four tracks also offer slots and video poker.
Louisiana Casinos
There are 16 commercial casinos in Louisiana. There are 15 located on ships on waterways that include the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico. State law only permits 15 casino boats.
There is one land-based casino in Louisiana. It is Harrah’s in downtown New Orleans. Harrah’s received this exemption in exchange for guaranteeing the employment of 2,400 people. The original deal with the state forbade the construction of a hotel. This was repealed after Hurricane Katrina.
Casinos in Louisiana are permitted to spread slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and house-banked card games. Poker rooms are also legal.
In addition to the 16 commercial casinos, there are three on tribal lands. The same games are permitted at Louisiana tribal casinos as the riverboats. The only difference is that the tribes do not pay any taxes on the net gaming win.
Louisiana Video Poker
There is an unusual form of convenience gambling in Louisiana. The state legalized video poker in 1991. The law leaves the decision up to the parishes as to whether to permit it at the local level.
That change in policy was created in 1996. A vote at the parish level at that time banned video poker in 33 of the 64 parishes in Louisiana. Truck stops in parishes where video poker is permitted may spread up to 50 machines. Bars are licensed to offer up to three games.
Louisiana Bingo
Charitable bingo is permitted in Louisiana. One tribal casino offers bingo in a commercial version. Riverboat casinos are not permitted to offer bingo.
Louisiana Online Gambling
Off-track betting is legal over the Internet in Louisiana. This includes wagers made on websites and on mobile apps. TVG and Twinspires are among the licensed providers for these games.
While pari-mutuel wagering on horses is legal, all other forms of online gambling are specifically illegal. It is not just site operators that have to worry about legal action for online gambling, players are subject to a fine of up to $500 and up to six months in jail for playing any game of chance over the Internet.This includes poker, casino games, sports betting, and even daily fantasy sports. Louisiana is one of six states that all daily fantasy sites avoid due to the online gambling language in the statutes.