Louisiana Representatives continued a two-pronged attack on sweepstakes casinos by unanimously approving a bill to ban the vertical on Tuesday.
House members voted 98-0 to pass Rep. Laurie Schlegel‘s House Bill 883 on April 14, sending it forward to the Senate.
The legislation explicitly refers to dual-currency online games that award prizes and simulate any form of gambling and would add those kinds of offerings to the state’s definition of illegal gambling. It targets not only operators of sweeps-style games but also platform providers, gaming, content suppliers, geolocation providers, promoters, media affiliates, and “any other person who knowingly supports or facilitates” these platforms.
Under the terms of the bill, violators could be fined up to $40,000 and/or imprisoned for up to five years. Every online wager accepted would constitute a separate violation by an operator.
Bill aims to reinforce regulatory and legal powers
The bill also states that Louisiana’s Attorney General or the Chair of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board can send written cease-and-desist notices to anyone who operates, conducts, or promotes gambling by computer within the state, including dual-currency sweepstakes operators, platform providers and payment processors.
Recipients would have 10 days from the date of the notice to end their gambling activities in the state.
AG Liz Murrill’s office would also have the power to seek temporary or permanent injunctions.
Whether this bill is actually needed is something that Gov. Jeff Landry might debate, if it reaches his desk. Landry vetoed a bill to ban sweeps last year after it passed both chambers, stating that he believed the language was overly broad and that state authorities already had the powers necessary to tackle bad actors.
Soon after the veto, Murrill’s office issued a legal opinion that stated that sweepstakes casinos were illegal and the AG and the LGCB announced it had sent more than 40 C&Ds to such operators.
HB 883 would effectively codify that stance on sweeps.
Other Louisiana sweeps bill proposes RICO charges
HB 883 isn’t the only bill that the Louisiana House has passed this year that would come down hard on the sweepstakes vertical.
Representatives approved HB 53 by an 86-11 vote on March 30, sending that legislation to the Senate. Rep. Bryan Fontenot‘s HB 53 proposes adding things such as operating electronic sweepstakes gaming, gambling in public, and bribing athletes to the definition of racketeering activity in the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute.
Racketeering carries much harsher penalties in Louisiana than illegal gambling; fines of up to $1m and prison sentences that can reach up to 50 years.
HB 53 has already moved forward in the Senate since passing the House, getting approval in the Senate Committee on Judiciary C on Tuesday. Louisiana Chief Deputy AG Larry Frieman said during that hearing that the state’s gaming division recommended HB 53’s approach, which takes a harder line (with harsher punishments) than most anti-illegal gambling legislation around the U.S.
Louisiana’s regular 2026 legislative session runs until June 1.
