Another state, another sports betting bill passed this week as Louisiana’s Senate gave its permission for citizens to vote on whether legal sports wagering should be allowed in the Pelican State. Having undergone months of debate, the bill must now proceed through the state house before landing on the desk of Governor John Bel Edwards for final ratification.
The bill, sponsored by Republican Danny Martiny, will enable parishes in Louisiana to have their say on whether or not sports wagering becomes a legal pastime. Should it win out, the state could introduce sports betting in its four race tracks and 16 casinos. Bettors would also be able to wager via mobile and online.
Louisiana’s parishes have already had one vote on sports betting last November when they went to the ballot to vote on daily fantasy sports. The result back then was heavily in favor of welcoming the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel, suggesting that there is a significant appetite for sports betting to become fully legal.
Martiny hopes that by green lighting his bill, the state will draw betting revenue away from illegal, offshore operators and be able to compete with neighboring Mississippi. Quoted in WSN, he said: “We get not one penny from the offshore sites. We get not one penny from Mississippi. We get not one penny from the bookies.”
