Louisiana sports betting bill rejected

A bill aiming to legalise sports betting in Louisiana has been rejected by the House Appropriations Committee, taking a markedly different approach to Tennessee.

Bill S153 would have regulated sports wagering within the Pelican State but was the subject of several amendments, which ultimately led to the bill not being approved.

The first was a mandatory requirement to purchase official league data instead of leaving this to private negotiations.

Tennessee recently became the first state to legalise sports betting with such a clause in place, while it has also allowed leagues to limit market types.

However, the second adopted amendment sealed the bill’s fate. This allowed Louisiana’s video poker establishments to offer sports betting.

There are 2,800 video poker parlours in the state, each of which would need to be licensed; it was argued this would put a strain on the state police when enforcing the new gambling laws.

Wade Duty, Executive Director of the Louisiana Casino Association, said: “With the amendments loaded onto this bill, it is untenable. You have now put enough baggage on the plane it will not get airborne.”

Tim Poole

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