Thirteen of Louisiana’s 20 commercial casinos have submitted sports betting applications, according to The Advocate.
The remaining seven casinos are expected to apply before the Jan. 1 deadline, the newspaper reports.
The Louisiana State Police is in the process of vetting operators. The state police were delayed by two weeks due to Hurricane Ida.
Louisiana Gaming Control Board chair Ronnie Johns told the newspaper he doesn’t expect to have to sign a temporary certificate of operation that would allow retail sportsbooks to start offering in-person, on-premise wagering, an indication that license approval could be right around the corner.
“It’s possible, but I seriously doubt I’ll have any to sign in the next two weeks,” Johns told The Advocate. “But I am anticipating some recommendations very soon.”
Louisiana casinos are eager to begin accepting wagers at temporary retail sportsbooks while permanent venues are under construction.
Louisiana voters in 55 of 64 parishes approved sports betting in Nov. 2020. Sports betting will be geofenced within parishes where the activity is allowed.
Louisiana Casino Association executive director Wade Duty told The Advocate that retail sports betting will launch ahead of mobile wagering, which faces additional new regulations.
The Louisiana Lottery Corp. will also launch sports betting kiosks, but those aren’t expected to arrive until early next year.
Paragon Casino Resort, a tribal casino in Marksville, launched sports betting last week.
